Unhoused residents and friends gathered for an elaborate celebration this weekend, knowing the city plans to close the encampment in January.
Tag: Homelessness
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Oakland spends $120 million a year on homelessness. Could it do more?
New estimates say it would cost a staggering $4.5 billion to house all homeless residents, but some officials say the city could be more creative.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
East Oakland residents ‘fed up’ with dumping and safety hazards in flatlands
Community groups are pressing the city to clean up a blighted intersection, but their demands raise questions about the fate of homeless camps there.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Plan for ‘safe work zones’ around homeless camps alarms advocates
Oakland officials say the tool is needed to protect workers from harassment, but some say it would criminalize unhoused people and supporters.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Oakland homelessness programs in danger after Newsom pauses funding
A surprise announcement from the governor puts a hold on a $1 billion statewide grant, including $24 million for Oakland shelters.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
New film depicts life on Oakland’s streets—from homeless filmmakers’ perspectives
“We R Here” started as an experiment and ended as a revealing 55-minute portrait.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Displaced from Wood Street, homeless residents set up protest camp at Oakland City Hall
And at another tense meeting, the City Council voted to pursue new shelter sites for affected residents, but most are far-off prospects.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Oakland councilmembers and city administration clash over proposal to use army base for homeless shelter
Councilmember Carroll Fife called the need for space to house Wood Street residents “an emergency.” City staff say there are legal and environmental issues with her request.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Audit: Oakland homeless shelters, services falling short
Despite spending $69 million over three years, the city failed to sufficiently track contractors’ work, an audit found.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Caltrans can close Wood Street homeless camp after all, judge says
The court lifted a temporary restraining order, allowing a phased shutdown of Oakland’s largest camp.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
When can Oakland close a homeless camp? Big changes underway
The city has settled a lawsuit filed in 2018 by members of The Village homeless community after a sweep.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
City Council this week: City workers get a pay raise and Oakland eyes $200 million in homelessness housing grants
Plus: The city is paying $1.5 million to settle former police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick’s lawsuit.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Caltrans can’t close Wood Street encampment without shelter plan, judge orders
A federal judge maintained a temporary restraining order pausing closure plans, but said residents will need to leave eventually.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Most of Wood Street homeless camp to be closed following massive fire
The Caltrans announcement has residents scrambling to find alternative living arrangements. Others have vowed to stay and resist the closure.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Oakland’s new homelessness official wants a challenge
We asked Daniel Cooper about his first impressions of Oakland and his public-health approach to a tough job.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
West Oakland fire spews smoke over the East Bay
Residents of the Wood Street homeless camp evacuated Monday morning after a large fire engulfed vehicles and a small bridge.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Oakland will create its first-ever rental housing registry
Also: social housing on the ballot, homeless shelters, and more from the City Council meeting.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Oakland’s top homelessness officials are leaving the city
Three of the city’s primary homelessness policy staffers have left this spring.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Hundreds more Oaklanders are living in cars and RVs these days
Policymakers have tried to respond to the massive increase in vehicle dwellings.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Oakland’s homeless population surpasses 5,000 people during the pandemic
But emergency COVID-19 measures prevented a “catastrophic increase,” new data shows.
