West
Oakland faces blowback for treatment of homeless after shutting down 500 encampments
City officials in Oakland, California have shut down over 500 homeless encampments in the past three years. However, this crackdown has caused blowback from some residents.
During the city council’s May 28 “Life Enrichment Committee” meeting, one speaker addressed the city’s encampment management.
“When we speak, y’all don’t look at us? When we speak, when we tell you what’s happening at these places, it don’t matter,” a gentleman speaking at the podium said.
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Oakland, California residents blast city officials for their handling of the homelessness crisis.
Oakland officials passed a policy in 2020 to regulate homeless encampments when there were about 140 camps. The policy was created to prohibit encampments in specific areas of the city, including proximity to businesses, schools, playgrounds, traffic lanes, bike paths, housing and playgrounds.
Any encampments in those prohibited areas were supposed to be vacated, with the city offering shelter before evacuating the camp.
Since then, the city has closed 537 homeless camps with approximately 1,500 remaining, according to a city report.
But as Oakland makes efforts to address the issue, advocates complain about the treatment of the homeless population and how the city has yet to fix the problem.
One of the speakers said Oakland officials need to set up a homeless protection board. She raised concern that the police and residents are violating the rights of the homeless.
Homeless encampments line the streets in Oakland, California on Friday, March 15, 2024. The city remains plagued by homelessness as nearby businesses close their doors due to safety concerns. (DWS for Fox News Digital)
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“Oakland is known for its tenant protections. I suggest a solution to this, because of the statistics that were shown today, is to provide the same protections in law to the homeless residents in Oakland,” she said. “They have a place where they can go to report. They have a place where they can go to get the law so they can know how is their property is supposed to be taken care of.”
Another speaker said that forced evictions are a “violation of human rights.”
“Invest in solutions. The city has a duty to provide access to restrooms, fresh collections, and proper sanitation facilities for all residents, including those living in encampments,” the speaker said.
“Stop criminalizing homelessness,” she added.
Homeless encampments line the streets in Oakland, California on Friday, March 15, 2024. The city remains plagued by homelessness as nearby businesses close their doors due to safety concerns. (DWS for Fox News Digital)
A woman stood up at the podium raising concern over the council’s emphasis on clearing the camps.
“If we’re focused on encampment evictions and management, we’re not actually focused on human beings,” she said.
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Recent reporting on Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford’s 420 days of out-of-state travel raises serious and reasonable questions about the level of transparency his office has provided.
As a lifelong Democrat who believes in good government and accountability, I’m troubled by the lack of information on the purposes of these trips all over the world. Many on the right are making this a political talking point, but my concern as an average Nevada voter is simpler — we should expect transparency from our elected officials, regardless of party affiliation.
Public service is a public trust. When officials spend significant time away from the state they were elected to serve, taxpayers have every right to understand why. What was the purpose of these trips? What concrete benefits did they bring back to Nevada? How did travel to places such as Martha’s Vineyard, Hawaii or Ghana advance our state’s interests?
I’m not suggesting that all travel is inappropriate. Our attorney general may well have legitimate reasons to represent Nevada at conferences, build important partnerships or address legal matters that benefit our state. But 420 days is substantial, and the lack of detailed explanations makes it impossible for voters such as me to assess whether this travel served Nevada well.
This is where transparency matters most. A comprehensive accounting of these trips, their purposes, outcomes and benefits to Nevada, would address these concerns and effectively. If Mr. Ford’s travel delivered real value to our state, he should be proud to share those accomplishments. If some trips were less essential, acknowledging that would also demonstrate the kind of honest leadership we need.
Democrats have long championed government transparency. We’ve criticized Republicans when they’ve fallen short of this standard. We cannot apply different rules to our party. Good government principles don’t have a political affiliation.
The solution here is straightforward: Mr. Ford should provide the public with detailed explanations of this travel. Until that happens, this issue will continue to damage public trust and distract from the important work our attorney general should be doing for Nevada families.
We can and should do better.
Susan Brager is a member of the Nevada Board of Regents. She previously served on the Clark County School Board.
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