The city is clearing Columbus Park after two months of outreach to provide interim housing to residents. Workers offered temporary motel rooms, with around 42 currently available. Nearly 400 additional housing options, in the form of tiny homes and safe camping sites, will be established by year's end. Residents may accept a $2,000 buyback for their RVs in exchange for temporary shelters. Those unwilling to move will not be permitted to camp in public spaces. Some residents expressed excitement about moving to hotels.
"This is a thoughtful, methodical, multi-month process of standing up safe, dignified interim housing," Mahan said of the plan, which will include meals, case management and security.
"And if people are unwilling to accept that option, they will not be allowed to continue to camp in a public park. It's as simple as that."
Some Columbus Park residents told KQED on Monday they have accepted shelter offers and are happy to have the chance to move.
"Yeah, of course. I am looking forward to being able to be in a hotel," Emily V., a 33-year-old who has been living at Columbus Park for about a year, said.
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