A coalition of civil-rights groups and one of the nation’s largest law firms have taken on the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), asking for a state-wide, permanent injunction to stop the sweeps which end up confiscating and often destroying the property of homeless people. In Berkeley, this lawsuit would protect homeless people living on state property, such as those who camp at the Gilman underpass. The class action suit specifically names five homeless people, one of whom used to live at the Gilman underpass and had her belongings confiscated. The other four live in Oakland and Emeryville. The lawsuit states that 55 homeless people have filed claims against Caltrans for having their belongings unlawfully taken and destroyed; 28 of those people had their belongings taken from the Gilman underpass. Caltrans is “violating the constitutional rights of homeless people by confiscating and destroying their property in ongoing sweeps,” according to a press release by the ACLU of Northern California, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit. “On multiple occasions, Caltrans has failed to give proper notice before raiding encampments — refusing plaintiffs an opportunity to move their belongings before destroying them in trash compactors.” The suit was filed Tuesday in […]
A coalition of civil-rights groups and one of the nation’s largest law firms have taken on the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), asking for a state-wide, permanent injunction to stop the sweeps which end up confiscating and often destroying the property of homeless people. In Berkeley, this lawsuit would protect homeless people living on state property, such as those who camp at the Gilman underpass. The class action suit specifically names five homeless people, one of whom used to live at the Gilman underpass and had her belongings confiscated. The other four live in Oakland and Emeryville. The lawsuit states that 55 homeless people have filed claims against Caltrans for having their belongings unlawfully taken and destroyed; 28 of those people had their belongings taken from the Gilman underpass. Caltrans is “violating the constitutional rights of homeless people by confiscating and destroying their property in ongoing sweeps,” according to a press release by the ACLU of Northern California, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit. “On multiple occasions, Caltrans has failed to give proper notice before raiding encampments — refusing plaintiffs an opportunity to move their belongings before destroying them in trash compactors.” The suit was filed Tuesday in […]