There have been homeless encampments for years on Sugarloaf Mountain near Nevada City. And when the coronavirus pandemic closed businesses and reduced shelter capacity, County Health and Human Services Director Ryan Gruver says activity on the mountain increased significantly…

Gruver says that funding was called “Project Roomkey”, where homeless people could be moved to individual motel placements and supportive services…

Gruver there was a positive outcome for 13 of 17 people for what was called Operation Sugarloaf. He says the county’s HOME team, in collaboration with the Sheriff’s Office and Nevada City Police, were actively engaged. Due to limitations from the so-called “Boise Decision”, he says law enforcement tools to address the situation have been extremely limited. Efforts to clear encampments have also been ineffective in the past, with homeless individuals simply moving to other locations, including densely wooded areas, when an encampment is cleared.