More than 100 homeless people will be cleared out of an encampment in Santa Cruz starting Monday, after city officials issued an emergency executive order.
The camp at San Lorenzo Park will be cleared out, and officials plan to temporarily close the entire park by Jan. 6, according to the order.
A man who was camped out along the riverbed near the county government building in Santa Cruz said he’s tried other locations.
“Made myself a place over by Wilder Ranch, and rangers come out there and freaking harass me over there,” he told KCBS Radio.
The executive order was issued last Thursday and cites the deteriorating conditions at the park as a reason for the closure.
"In recent months, the San Lorenzo Park has intensified,” said Elizabeth Smith, a spokesperson for the city of Santa Cruz.
Officials wrote that the city has observed a lack of social distancing and mask wearing at the encampment, increasing potential for it to become a COVID-19 hotspot.
City officials have also received increased reports of criminal activity in the area, including calls related to trespassing on private property and one report of defecation in a neighboring garage.
“This is a really hard situation for everyone involved, and the city is kind of in the middle trying to balance compassion and care for the health and well-being of those individuals who are experiencing homelessness with our responsibility to the residents,” Smith told KCBS Radio.
Santa Cruz previously tried to manage the camp and even implement a social distancing layout, according to the order.
Another factor in the decision to close the camp was that the area where it’s located frequently floods during the winter.
The closure of the park will end on Jan. 31, unless an extension is authorized.
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