Half a block from Berkeley High School lies the Civic Center Park homeless encampment. This encampment has become a topic of concern regarding its impact on student safety, which was addressed at a recent Berkeley community meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 26th, 2025. While there are useful city initiatives to help unhoused individuals living in encampments such as this one, the City of Berkeley can and should do more to ensure public safety while working towards solutions for houselessness.
Public spaces like Civic Center Park should be safe and accessible for all members of the community. Yet, the proximity of the encampment to BHS has created uncomfortable and dangerous situations for students. On Wednesday, January 29th, 2025, BHS Principal Juan Raygoza sent out an email reporting that a student had been “inappropriately touched” by a non-BHS community member while walking through the park. The person who harassed the student was not an encampment resident, but often frequented the area, according to the School Resource Officer Lino Guananja. And, as a previous Jacket news article reported, encampment residents have even entered the school. The encampment has consequently become a significant concern, not only for Berkeley residents but also for BHS students who pass by it daily. It is understandable that this sense of danger may cause students to take detours to avoid the encampment, fearing harassment, and ultimately disrupting the school environment.
While the city has increased police patrol of Civic Center Park since these incidents, according to Berkeleyside, their other actions have inadvertently triggered a ripple effect. According to Andrea Henson, the Executive Director of Where do We Go, a non-profit dedicated to providing aid and legal support to unhoused people around Berkeley and Oakland, sweeps of nearby encampments led to some unhoused people relocating to Civic Center Park. “Folks who were in their 70s were dragging their tents across the street to Civic Center Park, where they're at now, that's how they all ended up there,” Henson said.
Residents of the encampment are undoubtedly in need of resources, such as access to interim or permanent housing, or mental and physical aid. According to a recent Berkeley City Council Report, the city provides support with housing application assistance, rent subsidy, and offers a shower program, among other resources. But these resources aren’t always as accessible as the city claims: instead of being offered temporary housing during encampment sweeps and closures, as the City of Berkeley promises, according to Berkeleyside, many houseless people have to relocate to other encampments. The city should focus on both creating and maintaining safer spaces and providing the unhoused community with opportunities for support.
It’s important to recognize the need for affordable and alternative housing and comprehensive services for the unhoused, but it is equally important to prioritize the safety of residents and students. The city needs to take stronger action while also working to find long-term solutions to houselessness, which might include deploying social workers on the ground who can directly communicate the immediate needs of the unhoused to the city. It’s time for Berkeley to adopt a strategy that addresses the needs of both the unhoused and the broader community.
Students who want to voice their opinions on or concerns about the encampment are encouraged to attend City Council meetings or write to the office of Mayor Adena Ishii.