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Agenda Item
6.1 25-0922 Subject: Repeal 2020 Encampment Management Policy And Adopt 2025 Encampment Abatement Policy
From: Councilmember Houston
Recommendation: Adopt A Resolution Amending Resolution No. 88341 To Repeal The 2020 Encampment Management Policy And Replace With A 2025 Encampment Abatement Policy That (A) Defines "Encampment" To Exclude Vehicles And Authorizes Citation And Towing Of Inhabited Vehicles By City Departments Pursuant To The California Vehicle Code And Oakland Vehicle Code; (B) Continues To Require Reasonable Efforts To Make Shelter Offers And 7-Day Notice Prior To Non-Urgent Encampment Closures; And (C) Clarifies Emergency And Urgent Health And Safety Conditions That Authorize Immediate, 24-Hour, Or 72-Hour Notice For Encampment Closures, Including Encampments Blocking Sidewalks
I am resident of District 3 and a housing advocate with the East Bay Community Law Center. I am speaking in strong opposition to the anti-homeless "Encampment Abatement Policy."
I urge you to listen to community-led solutions, follow the Mayor's 5-Point Action Plan, and vote NO on this dangerous, harmful, and wasteful policy. This policy does nothing to solve the homelessness crisis in Oakland, and further marginalizes, and harms our houseless neighbors.
This proposal criminalizes Black and brown unhoused community members, who are already overpoliced - at a time when ICE raids are more common than access to affordable housing or food in Oakland. CMs Houston and Jenkins have repeatedly attempted to pass this harmful Trump-aligned policy without transparency or proper notice to the public on the vote. Now more than ever Oakland needs to lead by example - we cannot now pass a policy that will lead to the arrest of unhoused Oaklanders already facing life threatening conditions on the streets. This proposal wastes millions of tax dollars bulldozing tents, impounding vehicles, and banishing thousands of unhoused Black and brown Oaklanders from their homes without investing in sustainable solutions - with no options for a safe place to go.
Vote No to give them a chance to be part of the solution.
We urge you to listen to community-led solutions and vote NO on this dangerous, harmful, and wasteful policy. Oakland needs REAL solutions, not deadly ineffective sweeps.
I am an Oakland resident of District 1 and I strongly oppose the proposed EAP. Further criminalizing homelessness and diverting city funds away from other services to fund this criminalization will not make Oakland safer or create any real solutions to the housing crisis in Oakland.
Voting NO on the Encampment Abatement Policy. Other than this is an irrationally cruel policy, it is also one that does not even consider the lived experience knowledge of people who are currently or formerly houseless. But why would you consider their voices? You don't care. Everyday Oakland City shows how corrupt, fascist, and inhumane they are. Capitalist pigs.
I'm upset and appalled that you are considering the 'Encampment Abatement Policy' at an upcoming City Council Meeting. You know that ultimately there are three ways to handle our unhoused neighbors: housing, incarceration, or murder. Having abdicated your responsibility for the former, the EAP opts for the latter. You also know, that the only way you could possibly pretend that this legislation is legal is to lean on Donald Trump's fascist Supreme Court and their Grants Pass decision. It of course took fascists to undo a law that upheld basic human dignity and the responsibility of our governments to do the hard work of guaranteeing basic human rights. We know as well as you do who you are aligning yourselves with with this legislation.
Your advancing Donald Trump's agenda with the EAP is part of a pattern. Back in December you violated the Brown Act multiple times to pass an expansion of Flock, a mass surveillance system that all of you know is accessible to and used by ICE. Shortly thereafter you tried to come up with any excuse imaginable to kneecap the Police Commission at the behest of the OPOA. You know Flock is unpopular so you relied on illegal tricks to get it passed. You know Police Oversight and Accountability are popular, put in place by a overwhelming super-majority of Oakland voters, so you lied about your reasons to obstruct it.
You are highly underestimating the intelligence and resolve of the constituents you need to maintain your place in power.
I'm writing in strong opposition to the proposed Encampment Abatement Policy. Instead of spending so much time on policies like this that inhumanely seek to penalize the most destitute people in our communities, we need our city leaders to commit to real solutions such as safe parking, sanctuary encampments, and deeply affordable housing. We know that encampment sweeps do not actually address the problem of homelessness and help people find permanent housing. Sweeps destroy people's homes, property, pets, and their community.
Oakland residents will remember where you stand on this issue. I urge you to vote no.
Oakland must take back control of its public commons for the good of all - including the unhoused. Oakland does care about its unhoused population - but that care is not, and should not, be a one-way street.
The EAP simply requires that ALL Oakland residents - housed, and unhoused - obey existing civil/criminal codes; and, basic rules of civil behavior.
The EAP is "Neighborhood Inspired"; it's a reaction to many years of neglect of (mostly East and West) neighborhoods - our most racially diverse and economically challenged neighborhoods - whose residents desire to be free of the unnecessary, unacceptable, unsafe and unhealthy burden that <uncontrolled> homeless camps, including RV parking, place on their communities. Basic fairness and racial equity demand that the EAP pass.
Is it fair that Oakland's youth are modeling their expectations on what is acceptable based on the dystopian scenes they encounter in our public parks; on our sidewalks; in our streets; near our schools and playgrounds; or, in our public entertainment venues?
About dumping: It's true that homeless camps aren't responsible for most of Oakland's illegal dumping problem, but it's an unfortunate fact that the camps ATTRACT illegal dumpers.
Most Oaklanders DO, in fact, care about and support the unhoused, I implore homeless advocates to work with their unhoused constituency -- and get the clear message across that Oakland will no longer tolerate "anything goes" in its public commons. Move forward.
This is not a solution and it's incredibly disappointing that it keeps being put on the city council meeting agenda. We don't want this policy and the resources diverted to this could be used to actually support unhoused and housed Oaklanders alike. Towing people's vehicles and citing folks for trying to survive is not the answer. I urge my councilmember Charlene Wang to vote no.
Dear Council President and Councilmembers,
I write in support of Councilmember Houston’s Encampment Abatement Policy.
The policy strikes an appropriate balance between compassion and public safety by preserving notice and shelter‑offer requirements for non‑urgent situations, while providing the City with clearer authority to act when health, safety, or ADA access are at risk. It represents an important step toward restoring fairness by accounting for the needs, aspirations, and vulnerabilities of all Oaklanders—not just a few—who share and rely on public spaces.
Clearer timelines and standards for urgent situations—such as blocked sidewalks—are especially important for protecting accessibility and neighborhood safety. I appreciate the policy’s emphasis on clarity, consistency, and accountability, while maintaining a framework for outreach and services.
I urge the Council to adopt the Encampment Abatement Policy.
Respectfully.
I'm an Oakland resident, an artist and substitute teacher, opposing The Encampment Abatement Policy because our unhoused neighbors deserve tangible services and care, not this bigoted cruelty.
The Encampment Abatement Policy is cruel, unusual, and illegal. It will jeopardize our city funding and harm our unhoused neighbors while not actually solving the problem of homelessness. This policy will help no one.
I'm a 3rd generation West Oakland resident. I live with homeless neighbors on my block, in front of our elementary school, in our parks, and on our streets. Using Black and Brown neighborhoods as containments zones for our homeless neighbors is racist and unacceptable. Our neighbors experiencing homelessness are not all the same, and we need tools to protect our babies, our seniors, our mobility challenged, our businesses, our neighborhoods, and our culture from bad neighbors whether housed or unhoused. Let's join the fight to get Oakland's share of funding from the county so we can make sure everyone has a home, and no one is forced to live in squalor described by the UN as a human rights disaster. Housing is a human right!
I am resident of District 3 and a housing advocate with the East Bay Community Law Center. I am speaking in strong opposition to the anti-homeless "Encampment Abatement Policy."
I urge you to listen to community-led solutions, follow the Mayor's 5-Point Action Plan, and vote NO on this dangerous, harmful, and wasteful policy. This policy does nothing to solve the homelessness crisis in Oakland, and further marginalizes, and harms our houseless neighbors.
This proposal criminalizes Black and brown unhoused community members, who are already overpoliced - at a time when ICE raids are more common than access to affordable housing or food in Oakland. CMs Houston and Jenkins have repeatedly attempted to pass this harmful Trump-aligned policy without transparency or proper notice to the public on the vote. Now more than ever Oakland needs to lead by example - we cannot now pass a policy that will lead to the arrest of unhoused Oaklanders already facing life threatening conditions on the streets. This proposal wastes millions of tax dollars bulldozing tents, impounding vehicles, and banishing thousands of unhoused Black and brown Oaklanders from their homes without investing in sustainable solutions - with no options for a safe place to go.
Vote No to give them a chance to be part of the solution.
We urge you to listen to community-led solutions and vote NO on this dangerous, harmful, and wasteful policy. Oakland needs REAL solutions, not deadly ineffective sweeps.
I am an Oakland resident of District 1 and I strongly oppose the proposed EAP. Further criminalizing homelessness and diverting city funds away from other services to fund this criminalization will not make Oakland safer or create any real solutions to the housing crisis in Oakland.
Voting NO on the Encampment Abatement Policy. Other than this is an irrationally cruel policy, it is also one that does not even consider the lived experience knowledge of people who are currently or formerly houseless. But why would you consider their voices? You don't care. Everyday Oakland City shows how corrupt, fascist, and inhumane they are. Capitalist pigs.
I'm upset and appalled that you are considering the 'Encampment Abatement Policy' at an upcoming City Council Meeting. You know that ultimately there are three ways to handle our unhoused neighbors: housing, incarceration, or murder. Having abdicated your responsibility for the former, the EAP opts for the latter. You also know, that the only way you could possibly pretend that this legislation is legal is to lean on Donald Trump's fascist Supreme Court and their Grants Pass decision. It of course took fascists to undo a law that upheld basic human dignity and the responsibility of our governments to do the hard work of guaranteeing basic human rights. We know as well as you do who you are aligning yourselves with with this legislation.
Your advancing Donald Trump's agenda with the EAP is part of a pattern. Back in December you violated the Brown Act multiple times to pass an expansion of Flock, a mass surveillance system that all of you know is accessible to and used by ICE. Shortly thereafter you tried to come up with any excuse imaginable to kneecap the Police Commission at the behest of the OPOA. You know Flock is unpopular so you relied on illegal tricks to get it passed. You know Police Oversight and Accountability are popular, put in place by a overwhelming super-majority of Oakland voters, so you lied about your reasons to obstruct it.
You are highly underestimating the intelligence and resolve of the constituents you need to maintain your place in power.
I'm writing in strong opposition to the proposed Encampment Abatement Policy. Instead of spending so much time on policies like this that inhumanely seek to penalize the most destitute people in our communities, we need our city leaders to commit to real solutions such as safe parking, sanctuary encampments, and deeply affordable housing. We know that encampment sweeps do not actually address the problem of homelessness and help people find permanent housing. Sweeps destroy people's homes, property, pets, and their community.
Oakland residents will remember where you stand on this issue. I urge you to vote no.
Oakland must take back control of its public commons for the good of all - including the unhoused. Oakland does care about its unhoused population - but that care is not, and should not, be a one-way street.
The EAP simply requires that ALL Oakland residents - housed, and unhoused - obey existing civil/criminal codes; and, basic rules of civil behavior.
The EAP is "Neighborhood Inspired"; it's a reaction to many years of neglect of (mostly East and West) neighborhoods - our most racially diverse and economically challenged neighborhoods - whose residents desire to be free of the unnecessary, unacceptable, unsafe and unhealthy burden that <uncontrolled> homeless camps, including RV parking, place on their communities. Basic fairness and racial equity demand that the EAP pass.
Is it fair that Oakland's youth are modeling their expectations on what is acceptable based on the dystopian scenes they encounter in our public parks; on our sidewalks; in our streets; near our schools and playgrounds; or, in our public entertainment venues?
About dumping: It's true that homeless camps aren't responsible for most of Oakland's illegal dumping problem, but it's an unfortunate fact that the camps ATTRACT illegal dumpers.
Most Oaklanders DO, in fact, care about and support the unhoused, I implore homeless advocates to work with their unhoused constituency -- and get the clear message across that Oakland will no longer tolerate "anything goes" in its public commons. Move forward.
This is not a solution and it's incredibly disappointing that it keeps being put on the city council meeting agenda. We don't want this policy and the resources diverted to this could be used to actually support unhoused and housed Oaklanders alike. Towing people's vehicles and citing folks for trying to survive is not the answer. I urge my councilmember Charlene Wang to vote no.
Dear Council President and Councilmembers,
I write in support of Councilmember Houston’s Encampment Abatement Policy.
The policy strikes an appropriate balance between compassion and public safety by preserving notice and shelter‑offer requirements for non‑urgent situations, while providing the City with clearer authority to act when health, safety, or ADA access are at risk. It represents an important step toward restoring fairness by accounting for the needs, aspirations, and vulnerabilities of all Oaklanders—not just a few—who share and rely on public spaces.
Clearer timelines and standards for urgent situations—such as blocked sidewalks—are especially important for protecting accessibility and neighborhood safety. I appreciate the policy’s emphasis on clarity, consistency, and accountability, while maintaining a framework for outreach and services.
I urge the Council to adopt the Encampment Abatement Policy.
Respectfully.
I'm an Oakland resident, an artist and substitute teacher, opposing The Encampment Abatement Policy because our unhoused neighbors deserve tangible services and care, not this bigoted cruelty.
The Encampment Abatement Policy is cruel, unusual, and illegal. It will jeopardize our city funding and harm our unhoused neighbors while not actually solving the problem of homelessness. This policy will help no one.
I'm a 3rd generation West Oakland resident. I live with homeless neighbors on my block, in front of our elementary school, in our parks, and on our streets. Using Black and Brown neighborhoods as containments zones for our homeless neighbors is racist and unacceptable. Our neighbors experiencing homelessness are not all the same, and we need tools to protect our babies, our seniors, our mobility challenged, our businesses, our neighborhoods, and our culture from bad neighbors whether housed or unhoused. Let's join the fight to get Oakland's share of funding from the county so we can make sure everyone has a home, and no one is forced to live in squalor described by the UN as a human rights disaster. Housing is a human right!
Vote NO on the encampment abatement policy - I want to be proud of my city, not ashamed.
This policy would be very harmful. There already aren’t enough shelters.
I beg you to listen to community solutions, like the report from the Office of Homelessness Solutions.
Thank you,
Yuri - A very concerned person living in Oakland.