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BERKELEY, Calif. \u2014 The City of Berkeley has ordered the closure of an encampment in West Berkeley, citing public health concerns related to leptospirosis and declaring a broad surrounding area a no-lodging zone, prompting sharp criticism from advocates and residents.<\/p>\n
In a public notice dated Feb. 17, 2026, the city informed \u201cPersons encamped and\/or parked in the geographic area of Berkeley bounded by San Pablo Avenue to the East, the Railroad tracks to the West, Codornices Creek to the North, and Gilman St to the South\u201d that the area is subject to a \u201cNotice of Encampment Closure.\u201d<\/p>\n
The notice states that the location \u201cis within a no-lodging area and Temporary Non-Commercial Item (TNC) Prohibited Area\u201d and adds, \u201cYou are not permitted to lodge here or store personal property here, pursuant to California Penal Code Section 647(e) and City of Berkeley Administrative Regulation 10.2.\u201d<\/p>\n
The city further wrote that its public health officer has advised that \u201cno new encampments, including vehicular encampments, should be established within 1\/3 mile due to the presence of Leptospirosis and the need for rodent abatement to prevent further spread of the disease.\u201d The notice continues, \u201cAs such, the streets, sidewalk, and other public right-of-way within a 1\/3 mile radius from this location is declared a no-lodging area as depicted in Attachment 3 (\u20181\/3-Mile Exclusion Zone\u2019).\u201d<\/p>\n
Residents are ordered to vacate by Feb. 24, 2026. \u201cPlease vacate the TNC Prohibited Area by or before February 24, 2026,\u201d the city wrote. The notice states that \u201cAll personal property in the above location will be subject to removal on or after this date.\u201d<\/p>\n
The city also indicated that temporary no-parking signage would be placed in the area to enable cleaning and rodent abatement, citing California Vehicle Code Section 22651(l) and Berkeley Municipal Code 14.36.030G. \u201cAll vehicles remaining in the above location on or after February 24, 2026, in violation of posted signage, are subject to immediate tow and impound,\u201d the notice states. \u201cFailure to comply with this notice may result in citation or arrest.\u201d<\/p>\n
The notice names eight individuals protected by court injunction \u2014 Erin Spencer, Lewanda Parnell, Merced Dominguez, Ray Johnson, Yesica Prado, Austin White, Shareef Muwakkil and Eric Keiser \u2014 and specifies that the relocation requirement and no-lodging designation \u201cdoes not apply to the individuals protected by court injunction, as listed above, for as long as the injunction is in effect.\u201d<\/p>\n
The city has linked its action to the presence of leptospirosis, a bacterial disease commonly spread through contact with water or soil contaminated by infected animal urine, often associated with rodents. According to advocates, the first confirmed case connected with the encampment occurred in November 2025.<\/p>\n
In a Feb. 20, 2026 press release titled \u201cCity of Berkeley Exacerbates Bacteria Risk, Uses Results of Their Own Inaction as Excuse to Sweep Homeless Encampment,\u201d advocacy group Where Do We Go? criticized the city\u2019s approach and timeline.<\/p>\n
The release states that the city\u2019s notice gave residents at Eighth and Harrison streets one week to move \u201cor risk citation and arrest on or after February 24th, 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
Catherine Lewis, identified in the release as a Where Do We Go? organizer and leader in food distribution, said, \u201cThe city of Berkeley is unrelenting in its harassment and criminalization of the unhoused community. Rather than supporting the community at 8th & Harrison with sanitation including ongoing trash pickup, the COB is using the Lepto outbreak to justify sweeping the most marginalized among us. Many of us have been begging the COB for sanitation support for months and months. Where is that support? Not until two months after the \u2018outbreak of Lepto\u2019 did the City choose to act. Their solution is displacement and intensifying trauma. Exactly where are people supposed to go? Where?\u201d<\/p>\n
The press release states that in accordance with a Jan. 13 order by U.S. District Judge Edward Chen in Case 3:25-cv-01414-EMC, individuals covered by a lawsuit are exempt from the impending sweep. It asserts that the Federal District Court\u2019s order requires the city to identify \u201cat least three specific, nearby locations where those affected could lawfully move,\u201d or explain why doing so would be unreasonable.<\/p>\n
The release further states that the court ordered the city to explain why it is sweeping the entire area rather than distributing personal protective equipment and to describe whether providing non-congregate, ADA-compliant relocation options would impose a fundamental burden on the government.<\/p>\n
Merced Dominguez, described in the release as a resident who has been in the community for 12 years, said, \u201cWhy would you close down a campsite knowing people have nowhere else to go? That\u2019s the City\u2019s responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stefan Kaiter, who the release says builds and operates a Warming Hut that provides relief from cold and rain at the site, also criticized the sweep. \u201cThis is a perfect opportunity for the City to see the amazing idea that has been brought to it time and time again: giving people a safe place or RV park to move to, where they can find some semblance of stability and be located by homeless services, and be provided trash disposal, clean bathrooms, food support. All of those things can get people back into housing. The City could use this opportunity to pursue something new, rather than continuing the cycle of displacement and it\u2019s really disappointing to see,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The advocacy release contends that the city failed to provide adequate solid waste removal or sanitation infrastructure before and after the first confirmed leptospirosis case. It states that concerns about trash collection at Berkeley encampments were raised in a meeting with Mayor Adena Ishii on Sept. 24, 2025, and that conditions did not change.<\/p>\n
The release also references a Jan. 13 leptospirosis outreach event, which it says advertised information about symptoms and vaccine vouchers.<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s public notice and the subsequent advocacy response highlight the ongoing tension in Berkeley over how to balance public health concerns, court-ordered protections and the needs of unhoused residents.<\/p>\n
The public notice makes clear that after Feb. 24, personal property may be removed and vehicles towed, and that noncompliance may result in citation or arrest. At the same time, the listed individuals covered by court injunction remain exempt \u201cfor as long as the injunction is in effect.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the Feb. 24 deadline approaches, the dispute centers not only on disease mitigation but also on relocation, available shelter beds and compliance with federal court directives \u2014 questions that may determine whether the sweep proceeds as planned and under what conditions.<\/p>\n
Follow the Vanguard on Social Media \u2013 X<\/a>, Instagram <\/a>and Facebook<\/a>.\u00a0 Subscribe <\/a>the Vanguard News letters.\u00a0 To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit davisvanguard.org\/donate<\/a> or give directly through ActBlue<\/a>.\u00a0 Your support will ensure that the vital work of the Vanguard continues.<\/p>\n Categories: Breaking News<\/a> Homelessness<\/a> Sacramento Region<\/a> Tags: berkeley<\/a> City of Berkeley<\/a> Court Injunction<\/a> Encampment Sweep<\/a> homeless encampment<\/a> Leptospirosis<\/a> Public Health<\/a> Where Do We Go?<\/a>