Posts Tagged ‘homelessness’
Can tiny houses be an answer for students without a home?
Laney College students, who were homeless, have moved into a Pocket House—a type of tiny house—that could serve as part of a solution to the housing crisis in Oakland.
Read MoreMeasure W proposes a tax on vacant properties in Oakland
Funds raised by the tax would go toward solutions for Oakland’s increasing homelessness epidemic, and a quarter would be earmarked for addressing blight and illegal dumping.
Read MoreAbandoned or lost? Oaklanders living in cars have homes towed away
Captain Tony Jones of the Oakland Police Department spoke at a city council meeting in September about the number of abandoned cars in East Oakland. A large number of the homeless people who live in their cars have complained that their cars, which serve as their shelters, are being towed.
Read MoreAfter fire, homeless residents of The Village have bigger concerns
Watch how residents of The Village, a homeless encampment in East Oakland, are recovering after a fire displaced 37 people. And see how a fire is the least of residents’ worries in the coming months.
Read MoreDistrict 4 candidates share views on affordable housing, community projects at forum
A pastor, a construction manager, and a Fulbright scholar—these are a few of the seven candidates running to represent District 4.
Read MoreOakland prepares to move homeless to new “Northgate Cabins” site
In late April, in a formerly empty lot at the corner of Northgate Avenue and 27th Street in Oakland, the city installed 20 sheds that will house up to 40 people who are currently living on the street. This area, being referred to by the city as the “Northgate Cabins,” is supposed to serve as…
Read MoreThe Village’s first new tiny house owner moves into her new home
In early April, members of The Village finally moved their first residents into what will serve as their home until next fall. The activist-led group has been working since mid-January to build houses for the homeless in Oakland’s San Antonio neighborhood. Barbara Verduzco, 65, now lives in the dark brown plywood-paneled home with her partner…
Read MoreOakland politicians, community members discuss solutions to growing homelessness crisis
Oakland Councilmember-at-large Rebecca Kaplan hosted a community meeting on homeless solutions Monday to address what she believes is the city’s number one concern: the number of unhoused people living on Oakland’s streets.
Read MoreAdvocates push Oakland officials to treat homelessness as an emergency
Community members and city officials struggle to confront the the epidemic of hundreds of Oakland residents–most of them black, many of them elders–sleeping on the streets due to to skyrocketing rents and a lack of affordable housing.
Read MoreCity workers strike, others rally outside Mayor Schaaf’s State of the City address
On Thursday, city workers went on strike at the same time as the mayor’s annual “State of the City” address and held a “Real State of Oakland” picket and rally in the streets.
Read MoreCity council unanimously passes ordinance declaring a shelter crisis in Oakland
During the City Council meeting, the council members discussed Oakland’s shelter crisis, the federal legislation of California firearms laws and the state of the city address.
Read MoreAs Oakland’s homelessness crisis worsens, city council to vote on shelter ordinance
The city of Oakland will pass an ordinance declaring a two-year emergency shelter crisis as a response to the high number of Oakland residents that are unable to obtain shelter.
Read MoreOakland and Alameda County officials try to jump-start solutions to homelessness
A new city-county collaboration has been put forward by Oakland City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan, along with Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, in an effort to grapple with the East Bay’s increasing homelessness crisis.
Read MoreCouncil approves $300,000 salary for police chief, locals protest Promise Land closure
Tension between residents and city council grew at Tuesday night’s meeting when councilmembers passed controversial resolutions including paying nearly $300,000 a year to city’s new police chief and establishing cell-site simulator which can be used by police officers. Protestors also gathered and spoke against city’s demolishing a self-organized homeless camp by force last Thursday.
Read MoreFormerly incarcerated rebound into job market
For Carmen Garcia, the end of a prison sentence was the beginning of a new set of problems.
“The biggest obstacle for me was continuing to stay in school, because the halfway house wanted me to get a job right away, a full-time job,” she said. “And I remember a case manager said to me, ‘You need to take this job, whatever job they offer you, because now you have a criminal record and you’re not going to be able to get another job. Don’t worry about education, because that’s not going to help you.’”
Read MoreGabby Falzone translates the study of trauma
When she was 12, Gabby Falzone and her family became homeless in New York. At 15, she ran away. She moved between squats and stints with her family, but said she suffered too much abuse from them to stay for long. At 17, she moved to Boston, where she said she survived by exchanging sex…
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