Mile-long RV encampment symbolizes growing housing crisis in Bay Area

>> TONIGHT WE ARE LOOKING AT A MILE-LONG STRETCH OF ROAD IN MARIN COUNTY THAT HAS COME IN MANY WAYS TO SYMBOLIZE THE BAY AREA'S GROWING HOUSING CRISIS. THIS CRISIS ONLY WORSEN THROUGH THE PANDEMIC. RV AFTE AFTER CAR AFTER CAR PARK HERE BECAU PEOPLE DON'T HAE ANYWHERE ELSE TO GO. TO REPORT ON THE GROWING ENCAMPMENT, WHO LIVES THERE AND WHAT IS BEING DONE TO HELP. >> DRIVING THROUGH NOVATO IT IS HARD TO MISS NESTLED BETWEEN HIGHWAY 101 AND A WILDLIFE SANCTUARY THIS IS BINFORD ROAD. WHAT DO YOU CALL THIS NEIGHBORHOOD? >> I DON'T CALL IT ANYTHING. IT IS THE STRIP WHERE ALL THE RVS ARE. >> THE LONG LINE OF TRAILERS AND MOTORHOMES GOES ON AND ON. STRETCHING FOR ABOUT A MILE. LOCATED MINUTES AWAY FROM SOME OF THE WEALTHIEST ZIP CODES IN THE COUNTRY. THIS GROWING ENCAMPMENT HAS COME TO SYMBOLIZE THE HAVES AND THE HAVE-NOTS IN THE SEEMINGLY AFFLUENT MARIN COUNTY. >> WHAT WE ARE SEEING HERE IS A LARGER ISSUE WE SEE ACROSS THE STATE WHICH IS THE HOUSING PRICES WE HAVE, THE HOMELESS CRISIS WE ARE EXPERIENCING. >> THIS IS THE CAPTAINCY. >> ELISA MACKEY HAS BEEN HOMELESS FOR THREE YEARS. >> I WAS TRYING TO HOLD MY HEAD ABOVE WATER. I WAS IN SONOMA COUNTY. >> A MONTH AGO SHE MOVED SOUTH TO BINFORD ROAD. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOLKS TO KNOW ABOUT BINFORD ROAD? >> WE ARE NOT BAD PEOPLE. WE JUST MADE THE CHOICES MAYBE. >> THE COUNTY SAYS THERE ARE ROUGHLY ABOUT 180 VEHICLES AND ABOUT 90 PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE. FROM A OF THE FOLKS THEY TELL US IT WAS THE PANDEMIC THAT WAS THE TIPPING POINT. JUST ASK GORDIE. HE HAS LIVED HERE FOR SIX YEARS. AND YOU MOVED HERE SIX YEARS AGO WHAT WAS THE ROAD LIKE? >> THERE WERE ABOUT FIVE OR SIX MOTORHOMES ON THE STREET. >> THIS VIDEO SHOWS BINFORD ROAD FOR YEARS AGO. NOW IT IS PACKED BUMPER-TO-BUMPER AND WITH COUNTY SANCTIONED RESOURCES. THERE ARE WEEKLY TRASH PICK UPS, PORTA POTTY'S AND HANDWASHING STATIONS. >> ON A WEEKLY BASIS FOLKS ARE OUT HERE MULTIPLE DAYS ENGAGING WITH RESIDENTS HEARING ABOUT THEIR NEEDS, LISTENING TO THEIR STORIES, TALKING ABOUT WHAT SUPPORT THEY MEET -- THEY MAY NEED TO GET BACK INTO HOUSING. >> GARY IS THE COUNTY'S DIRECTOR OF HOMELESSNESS. >> WHO ARE THESE FOLKS? >> FOLKS WHO ARE HERE ARE FAMILY MEMBERS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AUNTS AND UNCLES, THESE ARE OUR NEIGHBORS. >> THE GOAL THEY SAY IS TO GET THESE RESIDENTS INTO PERMANENT HOUSING. IT IS SOMETHING ALICIA AND GORDIE HOPE FOR TUBING. WHAT IS YOUR GOAL ONE YEAR FROM NOW? >> TO BE IN MY OWN PLACE AND TO HAVE A JOB. >>>> I WANT TO BE OUT OF HERE. I WOULD LIKE TO BE OUT OF

Channel: ABC7 News Bay Area

Views: 837,605

Keywords: news, abc, abc7news, binford road, novato rv encampment, marin county binford road encampment, affordable housing bay area, national housing crisis, homeless encampment, marin county housing resources, homelessness resources, unhoused resources

Id: QMAQwWJYQtI

Length: 3min 2sec (182 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 01 2023