City of Chico enhances homeless enforcement, locals want swifter action

CHICO, Calif. — The city of Chico is continuing homeless camp enforcement around the city, including its alternate campsite at Eaton and Cohasset roads.

Until this week, dozens of homeless who weren’t authorized, had moved in. Now, many of those folks have been moved to shelters. On Monday, the city removed dozens of vehicles and residents who weren’t allowed on the one-acre campsite.

Local businesses are still fed up though, saying some homeless people have trashed the parking lots, vandalized and stolen property. One business is even moving out of the area because of safety concerns.

Some residents of the camp are weary of city officials and their ability to force them in and out of different campsites. One authorized homeless resident, however, said the recent removals have made the camp a safer place to live.

“When all these other people started living out here, that ain’t supposed to live out here, it just made it look like it was out at Comanche—all messy; trashy,” said Amanda Skelton, who has lived in the alternate sight for one year, coming after the city destroyed the encampment at Comanche Creek. “I'm glad they got all the cars out of here and all the people that ain’t supposed to be here. It looks a lot like home now and it’s a lot quieter.”

The city will continue to try to set up more alternate campsites and assess people to get them into shelters.

Last month, the city removed dozens of homeless people from the southwestern end of Teichert Ponds, but a number of tents remain on the Ponds’ northeastern ends..

Residents say their neighborhood is no longer safe for children to play in, and that they’ve been subject to break-ins, vandalized cars and have filled the sidewalks with needles and syringes.

One local said he’s tried to sell his home, but under these circumstances the home is “impossible” to sell. He requested to hide his identity for fear of retaliation.

“I've picked up syringes off the street. My kids' bikes have been stolen. I can't let my kids go out and play in the frontyard” the homeowner said. “I have sympathy for them. We've even given them food and fed them and helped out as much as we can, but it’s just overwhelming. It's just too much."

Suburb residents have spoken out on social media and at city council meetings, the city is discussing plans to finish the sweep of the ponds among multiple other campsites in the city. The city plans on serving seven-day notices to folks living in the encampment on March 28.