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After fire, homeless residents of The Village have bigger concerns

on September 27, 2018

In early September, a large fire burned through a quarter of The Village, a homeless encampment in East Oakland. But in the eyes of many of the residents, the fire was the least of their worries.

What started as a “safe haven” where nonprofits built tiny homes to house the homeless has devolved, they say, into a barely-livable and overcrowded encampment. According to residents, the day-to-day living conditions there include piles of decaying trash and clothes blending into one, fires that leap tent-to-tent every other month and what one person described as rats “the size of your calves.”

And they’ve got another problem, too: In November, The Village residents will have to move so an onpass overhead can be retrofitted. But residents still don’t know where they’ll go; city officials have yet to announce a relocation plan.

2 Comments

  1. […] Asis, who goes by Needa Bee. Oakland District 5 Councilmember Noel Gallo estimates that, due to the recent fire, that number is currently smaller: likely only 30 or 40 […]



  2. […] a third of the camp and damaged the homes or belongings of 37 residents. Afterward, residents faced ongoing concerns about sanitation — including rat infestations and poor bathroom facilities — and vulnerability to theft […]



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