Petaluma homeless have until Monday to leave encampment, federal judge rules

Homeless residents have until Monday before they need to vacate a Petaluma encampment after a judge on Friday afternoon allowed an injunction to expire that had prevented them from being removed.

Officials will converge on the Steamer Landing park at 8 a.m. Monday and need to make “good faith” attempts to offer shelter and storage before anyone is forced to leave, U.S. District Judge Edward Chen said.

Chen had previously extended the injunction three times, but allowed it to expire Friday after city officials argued they did everything they could to offer housing assistance and resources to the residents of the encampment. The injunction would not be extended further.

“What I’m requiring is best efforts,” Chen said at the end of Friday’s hourlong hearing.

In October, encampment residents filed the injunction to prevent the city of Petaluma from removing them from the property, located near the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit tracks off D Street.

Attorney Kevin Gilbert, who’s representing the city, said during the Friday hearing that several residents rejected offers to help, didn’t stay at shelters long or could not be found.

On May 25, the Petaluma Police Department issued a notice residents would be removed from the site after June 10.

Plaintiffs said they expected arrests to be made as early as Saturday, but Gilbert said outreach staff would be at the park Monday. Plaintiff Todd Simone was caught off guard by that.

“We’re getting mixed messages, which is kind of like harassment to me,” he said.

Simone was among the 11 plaintiffs who stressed conditions at local shelters have not been safe or adequate while Steamer Landing allowed better living conditions.

He told Chen he didn’t feel safe at Committee on the Shelterless’ Mary Isaak Center, a shelter in Petaluma. Simone added he’s self-reliant, keeps his camp clean and doesn’t need help from the city.

“I do my best when I’m in the campsite,” Simone told the judge. “I don’t see why I can’t have a place to camp out.”

Melody Thornton, another resident of Steamer Landing, told the judge she's willing to move into People’s Village, a 25-unit interim housing community built adjacent to the city’s largest shelter. Though, units haven’t been available and Steamer Landing has been a sufficient alternative.

Efforts to shut down the encampment, Thornton said, would be a detriment to her and other residents.

“All it does is spread us out while at least here we can support each other,” she said.

Chen asked Gilbert whether there would be alternatives if residents had to leave Steamer Landing.

Gilbert stressed there are shelter opportunities across Sonoma County and Steamer Landing doesn’t have sanitary drinking water.

Furthermore, the amount of those living at Steamer Landing is expected to rise during summer break and the encampment has fueled a rise in crime and fires.

“That resulted in part of the camp being burned and lives being put in jeopardy,” Gilbert said.

You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @colin_atagi