Public Comment

First They Came For The Homeless has been acting as an advocate for Phil Woodruff (aka. James Wood) for over a year. He was placed into a group housing situation in Oakland by BACS from their Berkeley Stairway Navigation Center. He currently resides in a house that is not up to code (2326 Myrtle St., Oakland, 94607.) It is a group congregate situation with from 10 to 15 residents and a house manager living or working in it.

We are very concerned about his health and safety at this place. Two weeks ago he was told to leave the house and not come back. He was essentially evicted in the COVID-19 quarantine by the house manager who raged at him that he had "white privilege". He endured at least 5 days living outside and sleeping on the pavement because of this. He did not have his medicine, clothing or even a charger for his phone since he was so abruptly tossed out. He was told to return to the house by BACS, but when he got there, they locked the door on him, would not let him in and the landlady shouted from her car in front of the house at him. He left feeling isolated, in physical pain from falls while he was on the street, in fear and sick from not having his medication. Evicted in the time of the Corona Virus. 

Berkeley Councilmember Cheryl Davila's office tried many times to get the city to respond to his needs and shelter him, but they never did. I called Friends of Adeline and talked to Margy Wilkinson and she made sure to get a blanket, tarp and other objects that he would need as he slept on Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley. 

He finally was readmitted to the house with a new house manager and has been living there since then. BACS has provided a small refrigerator to him in his room, so that his dietary needs due to medical conditions would be helped. He was also told to eat at the group meals. 

The house's bathroom that he uses is not clean and is used by multiple tenants. The meals sometimes are not served and, when they are, people sit at a goup table next to each other, reaching over each other's plates as they try to get things from the table. Some of the residents cough loudly at the table and there is no attempt to shield them or the other tenants from germs. BACS and Berkeley have been informed about the lack of COVID 19 protocol, but no change has occurred. People living in the house and visitors come and go with no social distancing, masks, gloves or anything. 

Phil Woodruff (aka. James Wood) has started to feel his health deteriorate and is fearful, as a 65 disabled man forced into close proximity to others at the group house. 

First They Came For The Homeless requests that attention be paid to this resident and his complaints and that an inspection be carried out as soon as possible. We are also concerned about the health and well being of the other residents and staff and find this unacceptable. We request that he and other at risk residents be placed in a hotel. His status was homeless in Berkeley and Berkeley and BACS put him into dangerous circumstances to be housed. His currently living in this house in Oakland does not negate his status of a homeless, disabled senior.