Merced Homeless Threatened

A group of 25 (+ or -) homeless people living in an encampment near highway 140 and Baker street in Merced are being threatened with eviction by Caltrans. Notices were posted on Friday, January 23 for the Monday, January 26 at 8 a.m. eviction. The notice posted by Caltrans says that “all personal property and camp debris is to be removed by the time and date noted below.” The notice continues “any personal property left at this site after this time will be considered abandoned.”

The residents in the encampment, some of whom have lived there for over a year, don’t have any place to go. There are no safe and legal camp sites for the homeless in Merced. Several of the residents are elderly and some are sick and unable to move their property, even if there was some place to take it.

Marilyn showed me inside her shelter today and it is obvious that she is not going to have her property moved by tomorrow morning. The notice does say that “any personal property not disposed of will be stored for ninety (90) days.”

Supporters of the homeless will be at the encampment on Monday morning to video the Caltrans operation and make sure that homeless people’s rights are not violated.