Category: Housing & homelessness

Park Fire rages; thousands evacuate Vice mayor: Evacuation planning for homeless encampment underway

photo by Karen Laslo
The Park Fire

12:30 p.m. update July 26: Cal Fire says the Park Fire has burned 178,000 acres and 134 structures. Evacuation orders have been expanded and can be checked here.

by Leslie Layton
posted July 25

The Park Fire in Upper Bidwell Park east of Chico city limits reached almost 71,500 acres by midday today with only 3% containment.

It continues to be hot and windy, thousands of people are under evacuation order or warning and air quality for most city residents has slid from good to moderate.

Vice Mayor Kasey Reynolds said today that she confirmed, at 1 a.m. this morning, that the Butte County Association of Governments (BCAG) has buses on standby if the residents of the Alternate Site homeless encampment at Eaton and Cohasset roads have to be evacuated. read more

Chico moves to dissolve lawsuit settlement Winslow: The pallet shelters are "hostage" in the homeless case

photo by Dave Waddell
Eric Johnson

by Leslie Layton & Natalie Hanson
posted July 17

The City of Chico announced today that it plans to dissolve the lawsuit settlement that for the past 18 months has restricted its ability to conduct eviction sweeps at homeless encampments. It says it will return to court.

The January 2022 Settlement Agreement produced by the Warren v. Chico lawsuit requires the City show it has shelter beds available before evicting unhoused people from public property. If the City prevails in a new round of litigation, it will once again be able to enforce anti-camping ordinances and conduct eviction sweeps freely. read more

Divided Supreme Court ruling delivers victory to Grants Pass ‘Either stay awake or be arrested’

photo by Karen Laslo
The City-sanctioned campground in north Chico that was opened to meet a court requirement.

by Natalie Hanson
posted June 28

The country’s highest court dropped a landmark decision on the question of civil rights for America’s unhoused people today.

In a decision that many attorneys and activists had predicted, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that cities enforcing anti-camping laws are not committing cruel and unusual punishment during evictions of unhoused people. It remanded the City of Grants Pass v. Johnson case back to the lower courts with a ruling that could affect policy in cities like Chico. read more

ChicoSol a finalist in five award categories Announcement reflects recognition for community focus and investigative reporting

photo by Leslie Layton
Several rows in the Marigold Elementary gym were occupied by protesting parents during a school board discussion on gender identity.

by staff
posted May 29

ChicoSol has been named a finalist in five categories in the prestigious annual journalism competition run by the California News Publishers Association (CNPA) for its 2023 coverage.

CNPA announced today that ChicoSol’s Natalie Hanson and Leslie Layton are finalists in the special Community Focus category across all divisions, placing this publication in competition with the San Francisco Chronicle, Bay Area Reporter, Santa Barbara Independent, and the San Diego Union-Tribune. read more

North State Shelter Team hits landmark 2000th shower At City's Alternate Site for the homeless, volunteers provide relief

photo by Karen Laslo
Alternate Site residents Robert and Brenda Sallee.

photo essay by Karen Laslo
posted May 25

Every Friday, the North State Shelter Team (NSST) hauls its shower trailer out to the homeless camp on the corner of Eaton and Cohasset roads.

Along with a team of caring volunteers, NSST founder Charles Withuhn attempts to relieve some of the misery of living unhoused by offering hot showers. Withuhn built the shower trailer two years ago. On this Friday (May 24) the team was celebrating the marker of providing some 2,000 showers with cupcakes and coffee for the residents. read more

Chico voters rejecting planned community Valley’s Edge Environmental costs and traffic influenced voters

photo by Leslie Layton
The Valley’s Edge houses would be built on lava cap.

by Natalie Hanson
posted March 7

Editor’s note: The Butte County Clerk-Recorder’s office released official election results on March 28 that show that almost 63% voted NO on Measure O and 62% opposed Measure P.

Preliminary results in the primary election show Chico voters rejecting the controversial Valley’s Edge project that would produce a planned community east of City limits.

As of March 8, the preliminary count showed the number of “NO” votes on measures O and P at 62% of some 19,000 ballots that had been counted. Those measures would amend the General Plan and the Valley’s Edge Specific Plan to allow the development. read more