Fremont officials cleared out a homeless encampment near Quarry Lakes Regional Park as part of a planned maintenance and fire safety due to a fire on May 16, 2025 (posted on Fremont Fire Department’s X account). A KTVU Fox News report said about 40 people lived at the encampment.
According to a report from CBS news, Veronica Sanchez, who had been homeless for 15 years found the encampment peaceful compared to others and valued the community she found there. She said the encampment tried not to bother the surrounding neighborhoods, but said, “people are people and you can’t really control everybody or tell everybody what to do.”
KTVU Fox 2 and NBC Bay Area both report that neighbors were complaining about the encampment on a weekly basis.
Members of the encampment were offered five-month temporary housing at a motel as part of the city’s winter relief program. They are able to bring two bins of belongings and their pets.
According to the Fremont city website, the park is temporarily closed and will be shut down on November 14. KTVU Fox 2 reported that the park will stay closed for a few months. Quarry Lakes Park remains open.
In a statement shared by CBS News, Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan said, “The temporary closure and restoration work at Isherwood Park are part of a coordinated effort to protect the environment, reduce fire hazards, and restore access for all park visitors.”
