The battle for homeless enforcement in Chico continues at Teichert Ponds.
Nestled behind the 99 bikeway and freeway, Teichert Ponds was once a quiet wetland oasis for all residents to enjoy. But now, some residents say homeless encampments are destroying the environment and creating dangerous living conditions.
The ongoing Warren vs. Chico settlement, which regulates how and when the city can force the homeless off the street, has played a factor in delaying enforcement in some areas.
The city of Chico in the past year has destroyed multiple sights—including Comanche Creek and Windchime Park. Folks that were not relocated to a shelter settled here.
“This is one of the places that some of those people came to,” said Nick Hastings, who migrated from southern Alabama, and formerly lived at Teichert Ponds.
“Since Windchime, they’ve moved here. So, there’s a lot more,” said Peggy Chambers, a Chico local.
“A lot of people tell me not to walk but I walk the bike path and I feel safe. I always say hello to everybody so, you know, I wish them well. It’s a crisis and it’s not just, here, in Chico.”
Other neighbors were less generous. They say the homeless have been throwing trash into the creek and made the area generally unsafe to live and congregate in.
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