Homeless filth in Berkeley goes viral; here’s what to do about it

It’s long been called Berserkely for a reason. Berkeley, birthplace of the 1960s free speech movement, has always had its quirks, its grit, its radicals and free spirits. But it hasn’t always had entire street corridors swathed in rat-infested homeless encampments. That disgrace is of more recent vintage. A homeless encampment is seen near the University of California Berkeley in Berkeley, California, on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. Nathan Weyland for CA Post And it shows that Berkeley –– like Los Angeles and other California cities with laissez-faire homeless policies –– needs to get real. As a mom’s viral video showed this week, the 1150 block of Harrison Street is crammed with tents, junk, garbage, graffiti, blocked sidewalks and total chaos. Sign up for the California Morning Report new