9 18-1669 Subject: Encampment Management Policy And Program
From: Councilmember Bas
Recommendation: Approve A Report And Recommendation From The City Administrator On The Encampment Management Policy And Program Due To The Homelessness Crisis Emergency And Multiple Legal Actions Against The City
I want to thank Council Bas for bringing this item forward and the committee members for conducting these proceedings.
Absent from the conversation thus far, is the any discussion or language regarding community relations & engagement. As Chair of the Prescott Neighborhood Council, to create & maintain a good neighbor relationship, I ask that the EMT policy include language that the EMT engage the specific community/neighborhood encampments are located, providing information and noticing similar to the encampments noticing including detailed information. Also, if an encampment is being moved, noticing should be posted there prior to the move, alerting the community or users of location and would allow any needed changes within the community e.g. commute route, business operations…We have NCPC councils/beats that are citywide, covering all neighborhoods. These councils have the intimate neighborhood knowledge to assist in the facilitation of engagement. Thank you for your consideration
When encampment closures occur, residents are not given safe alternatives. Forcing people out of their encampments is essentially forcing them out of their community and into more unfamiliar, unsafe areas that lack access to basic services. Even when shelter beds are available, residents face barriers such as overly restrictive policies, mental health issues triggered by an institutionalized environment, removal of possessions, theft & violence. We have known for years that encampment sweeps are a costly & ineffective practice as they have done anything but address homelessness, & even worse are destabilizing to homeless residents attempting to access a pathway to housing. Individuals who are constantly on the move or fear displacement everyday must focus their energy on immediate survival at the expense housing and even health. Outreach workers are constantly focused on addressing immediate crises & short term needs rather than working with clients towards longterm housing outcomes.
I write to demonstrate my support for the adoption of Councilmember Bas's recommendations in the city of Oakland. Housing is a human right, and as Bas has outlined, unsheltered residents in Oakland are among the most at-risk and vulnerable populations in the world, with the Bay Area homeless crisis named by the United Nation as one of the most pervasive human rights violations globally. Protecting the right to shelter is an essential function of city government. The City of Oakland must take a critical and compassionate approach, directed by members of the unsheltered community, and with an emphasis on promoting public health and safety, to implementing solutions for this current crisis. Councilmember Bas' recommendations, which support providing basic services in these communities, are a thoughtful first step towards this goal, which will continue to require significant focus and resource allocation over time.
I write to urge you to adopt Councilmember Bas's recommendations. Inaction is not acceptable. Change the City's houseless response, guided by the leaders in the unhoused community. Our houseless neighbors currently endure a lack of basic services -- clean water, garbage collection, and fire prevention measures. This crisis is only getting worse. Oakland needs to provide essential services and resources to address the houseless crisis.
I am an Oakland resident, and support providing essential services and resources to address the houseless crisis. We need to do more to provide basic services to our people, and stop the inhumane "sweeps". Forcing a recently-displaced Oakland resident to simply move their life does nothing to solve the crisis - which is actually the fault of tech in the arms of gentrifying landlords, trying to cement-over the vibrancy of the Bay to replace it with a playground for the rich. I would like to urge you to adopt Councilmember Bas's recommendations and start taking immediate action to change the City's houseless response, guided by the leadership of the unhoused organizers fighting for their lives and their communities every day.
I want to thank Council Bas for bringing this item forward and the committee members for conducting these proceedings.
Absent from the conversation thus far, is the any discussion or language regarding community relations & engagement. As Chair of the Prescott Neighborhood Council, to create & maintain a good neighbor relationship, I ask that the EMT policy include language that the EMT engage the specific community/neighborhood encampments are located, providing information and noticing similar to the encampments noticing including detailed information. Also, if an encampment is being moved, noticing should be posted there prior to the move, alerting the community or users of location and would allow any needed changes within the community e.g. commute route, business operations…We have NCPC councils/beats that are citywide, covering all neighborhoods. These councils have the intimate neighborhood knowledge to assist in the facilitation of engagement. Thank you for your consideration
When encampment closures occur, residents are not given safe alternatives. Forcing people out of their encampments is essentially forcing them out of their community and into more unfamiliar, unsafe areas that lack access to basic services. Even when shelter beds are available, residents face barriers such as overly restrictive policies, mental health issues triggered by an institutionalized environment, removal of possessions, theft & violence. We have known for years that encampment sweeps are a costly & ineffective practice as they have done anything but address homelessness, & even worse are destabilizing to homeless residents attempting to access a pathway to housing. Individuals who are constantly on the move or fear displacement everyday must focus their energy on immediate survival at the expense housing and even health. Outreach workers are constantly focused on addressing immediate crises & short term needs rather than working with clients towards longterm housing outcomes.
I write to demonstrate my support for the adoption of Councilmember Bas's recommendations in the city of Oakland. Housing is a human right, and as Bas has outlined, unsheltered residents in Oakland are among the most at-risk and vulnerable populations in the world, with the Bay Area homeless crisis named by the United Nation as one of the most pervasive human rights violations globally. Protecting the right to shelter is an essential function of city government. The City of Oakland must take a critical and compassionate approach, directed by members of the unsheltered community, and with an emphasis on promoting public health and safety, to implementing solutions for this current crisis. Councilmember Bas' recommendations, which support providing basic services in these communities, are a thoughtful first step towards this goal, which will continue to require significant focus and resource allocation over time.
I write to urge you to adopt Councilmember Bas's recommendations. Inaction is not acceptable. Change the City's houseless response, guided by the leaders in the unhoused community. Our houseless neighbors currently endure a lack of basic services -- clean water, garbage collection, and fire prevention measures. This crisis is only getting worse. Oakland needs to provide essential services and resources to address the houseless crisis.
I am an Oakland resident, and support providing essential services and resources to address the houseless crisis. We need to do more to provide basic services to our people, and stop the inhumane "sweeps". Forcing a recently-displaced Oakland resident to simply move their life does nothing to solve the crisis - which is actually the fault of tech in the arms of gentrifying landlords, trying to cement-over the vibrancy of the Bay to replace it with a playground for the rich. I would like to urge you to adopt Councilmember Bas's recommendations and start taking immediate action to change the City's houseless response, guided by the leadership of the unhoused organizers fighting for their lives and their communities every day.