Federal Judge William Orrick’s decision comes as a wave of storms has drenched the Bay Area for the past 10 days. With the wet weather showing no sign of letting up this week, both sides will appear in court January 18th, when the judge will decide whether to lift or extend the ban.
The court order means that, for now, dozens of people living on a vacant, city-owned lot off Wood Street in West Oakland cannot be forced to relocate during the ongoing rain and flooding. According to the court, the problem is that the city has a little more than two-dozen, dorm-style shelter beds available — a setup that isn’t feasible for everyone living at the Wood Street encampment.
The City of Oakland wants to shelter everyone from the encampment. It argues that it needs to be able to clear the site to make way for a 170-unit affordable housing development slated to be built there. Until the encampment is cleared, the city says it can’t apply for the funding it needs for the project.
The court order is the latest development in an ongoing saga surrounding the Wood Street encampment. Notices posted there advised residents to vacate the property between 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day this week.
The Oakland City Attorney’s office declined to comment on the judge’s ruling.
