City Shuts Down Homeless Camp; Occupants Not Sure Where to Go Now

City officials this morning cleared several homeless encampments along a creek that runs parallel to Interstate 580, displacing the transients who were living there.

"It's very embarrassing," said a camp occupant, Charles Bohnsack. "I'm not sure what to do now."

Bohnsack, 58, said he has lived in the encampments known as "The Creek" or "Tent City" for about a year.

Residents and nearby businesses were concerned over the panhandling and restroom use going on in the area, said Doug Martin, a senior building inspector for the city.

Martin also heads the city's neighborhood preservation program.

The encampments were sporadically located along the creek from the parking lot off North Livermore Avenue to the store.

The pockets of land where tents had been set up were on a combination of city, Caltrans, Zone 7 Water Agency, and private property, Martin said.

"We know there is no good answer to this," he said. "But we certainly couldn’t have them there."

Authorities recently notified the of their plans to break up the camps, which were home to about 20 people.

The refuge is a group of volunteers and churches which provide a warm, dry place to stay for the city's homeless during the winter months.

"We give the city credit for at least communicating with us," said Wesley Stark, director of operations for the refuge. "But February doesn't seem like the best time to do this, especially with the weather."

Stark said there are about 100 homeless people in town, including those who have vehicles.

The refuge is preparing for an influx of homeless people seeking shelter tonight and in the coming days.

"We're already wall-to-wall," said Sandra Chesterman, volunteer coordinator who helps run the warming centers in town. "But if they don't come to us, I'm not sure where they're going to go."

Chesterman said the refuge recently received a $500 donation from the Livermore Rotary, which should help buy extra sleeping bag and supplies for the expected increase in need.

Police and other officials visited the encampments last week to notify the occupants that they would have to clear the area by this morning, said Randy Bogosian, who lives in a tent just underneath the Interstate 580 freeway overpass.

Bogosian, 55, said he has been living at the creek on-and-off for the past two years.

He, too, was unsure of where to go next.

"They gave us a short notice," Bogosian said. "And without anything to help us."

Joe Delarosa also was forced out of his encampment.

"Where else are we going to go?" he asked after clearing up his belongings. "I mean we're trying to do our best, but we're homeless."

Anyone interested in helping the Livermore Homeless Refuge may find more information on their website.