The EAP is another example of PACs and broken legal systems at play, that only serve to benefit the wealthy and landowners, while preying on the legitimate concerns of middle and lower-income residents.
Require council-members to submit their text in full, at least 1 week prior to a vote. Grassroots organizations, especially those comprised of low-income and/or unhoused individuals have no way of digesting and processing information in such little time. This is evident in how this text includes overreaching provisions that allow arrest of our most vulnerable populations, which were not mentioned at the previous Public Safety Committee when this was introduced.
Require a fiscal analysis before allowing such a sweeping proposal to pass. The 2021 audit, and all audits of the city's homeless strategy have been damning - millions in unbudgeted funds going towards police overtime, encampment sweeps, and more - all during a budget crisis. Further, this would contradict the city's stated unhoused strategy in their Measure W grant request, potentially threatening billions dedicated to homelessness and housing.
The city should not allow rushed changes to the city Encampment Management Policy in the middle of the legislative year. This proposal will cause chaos by contradicting the city and county's housing first frameworks, from the mayor's Office of Homelessness Solutions to Alameda County's Home Together 2026 Community Plan.
Agenda Item 3: Encampment management.
I support this policy change. We should not have people living on the streets and sidewalks and parks of this city. We need to find homes for them. But we cannot wait until economic equity arrives. Not in this century with what's going on in this country now. Sad as it is, no one is coming to the rescue. We need to fix this problem ourselves. Those of us who live and work and pay taxes in Oakland expect some services for those taxes, including safe and clean streets, sidewalks and parks. If we don't, we will not have any businesses or homeowners living here, only encampments everywhere. People from other cities come to Oakland to live on the street, to commit crimes, to run rampant since there is no law enforcement here. They will tell you that. "This is 'f--ing Oakland," one person speeding through a red light said to me the other day. "We o what we want here. If you don't like it, move to Piedmont." Please implement these changes. For everybody's sake.
The EAP is another example of PACs and broken legal systems at play, that only serve to benefit the wealthy and landowners, while preying on the legitimate concerns of middle and lower-income residents.
Require council-members to submit their text in full, at least 1 week prior to a vote. Grassroots organizations, especially those comprised of low-income and/or unhoused individuals have no way of digesting and processing information in such little time. This is evident in how this text includes overreaching provisions that allow arrest of our most vulnerable populations, which were not mentioned at the previous Public Safety Committee when this was introduced.
Require a fiscal analysis before allowing such a sweeping proposal to pass. The 2021 audit, and all audits of the city's homeless strategy have been damning - millions in unbudgeted funds going towards police overtime, encampment sweeps, and more - all during a budget crisis. Further, this would contradict the city's stated unhoused strategy in their Measure W grant request, potentially threatening billions dedicated to homelessness and housing.
The city should not allow rushed changes to the city Encampment Management Policy in the middle of the legislative year. This proposal will cause chaos by contradicting the city and county's housing first frameworks, from the mayor's Office of Homelessness Solutions to Alameda County's Home Together 2026 Community Plan.
Agenda Item 3: Encampment management.
I support this policy change. We should not have people living on the streets and sidewalks and parks of this city. We need to find homes for them. But we cannot wait until economic equity arrives. Not in this century with what's going on in this country now. Sad as it is, no one is coming to the rescue. We need to fix this problem ourselves. Those of us who live and work and pay taxes in Oakland expect some services for those taxes, including safe and clean streets, sidewalks and parks. If we don't, we will not have any businesses or homeowners living here, only encampments everywhere. People from other cities come to Oakland to live on the street, to commit crimes, to run rampant since there is no law enforcement here. They will tell you that. "This is 'f--ing Oakland," one person speeding through a red light said to me the other day. "We o what we want here. If you don't like it, move to Piedmont." Please implement these changes. For everybody's sake.