City officials excited to restore Teichert ponds following homeless sweep in Chico

CHICO, Calif. — After weeks of enforcement, the City of Chico has cleared the homeless encampments at Teichert Ponds.

Teichert Ponds is the latest encampment to be cleared by the city, officials have determined that there are a number of shelter beds for residents of the camp to be moved into.

The city has cleared out multiple homeless encampments in the past year, such as Windchime park and Comanche creek.

Last week the city counted 40 campsites and 34 people living in the Ponds, and 45 open shelter spaces between the Pallet shelter and Torres shelter.

Other estimates included over 55 people living in the ponds, while numbers fluctuate as some homeless folks wander around the city.

Public Works Director Erik Gustafson said clearing the site is a positive step towards restoring the area.

“It’ll likely take a couple days,” Gustafson said. “And so far things are looking great. We had a good response and I don’t foresee any issues, I’m excited to get the area restored.”

Teichert Ponds is a natural habitat with wild flora and fauna that many residents hope can be restored in terms of beauty and safety. The 99 bikeway is a popular spot in the area for residents to walk, run, and bike. Neighbors have complained that the area is too dangerous to walk their pets even in the daytime. Others say some areas of the Ponds are safe, but some areas are no-go zones.

Some homeless residents are concerned about the rules, regulations and living conditions in some of the shelters, and claim that strictness in the shelters increases when more beds are needed. Others simply refuse to live in the shelters and prefer the freedom of open space.

As with other encampments, some homeless people do feel like they have nowhere to go and are simply trying to survive as the cost of living increases.