Activism

Oakland Officials Present New Homeless Policy, Faces Criticism from Advocates

Published

5 years ago

September 24, 2020

An Oakland native named Funk sits by his tent and behind a city provided toilet. Since he lives within 50 feet of a tennis court, he's in a high-sensitivity area and could face displacement from the neighborhood he grew up in if City Council passes the City Administration's proposed Encampment Management Policy as it currently stands. Photo by Zack Haber on Sept 24.

On Sept. 21, Oakland’s Homelessness Administrator Daryel Dunston shared recommendations with the Life Enrichment Committee (LEC) about new proposed regulations for managing areas where people experiencing homelessness live.

“In my humble opinion this policy is a step in the right direction, and I welcome the opportunity to strengthen the areas that may fall short in your estimation,” said Dunston during the meeting.

The Encampment Management Policy (EMP) outlined by Dunston and proposed by the City Administration, was largely based off of a report submitted in July that Joe DeVries, the director of Interdepartmental Operations, wrote.

The proposed EMP classified current areas where homeless people live as high-sensitivity areas and low-sensitivity areas. Language in the legislation suggests that low-sensitivity areas would be tolerated, but that, with some exceptions, living in high-sensitivity areas would not be tolerated.

“Encampments located within a high-sensitivity that are not approved by the City Council will be subject to a closure intervention,” reads the EMP.

While the EMP clearly defines high-sensitivity areas, low-sensitivity areas exist mostly by virtue of not being high sensitivity areas.

High-sensitivity areas exist within 150 feet of schools, within 25 feet of emergency shelter interventions, and within 50 feet of a protected waterway, residence, business, playground, public park, golf course, soccer field, baseball field, tennis court or basketball court.

“These are the high-sensitivity areas that we are recommending. And obviously, it will be up to the City Council to deliberate on these [distances],” said Dunston during the meeting. “Maybe you all decide that some of these distances are too narrow. Maybe you decide they could be expanded in some places.

Traffic lanes and bike lanes are also high-sensitivity areas.

“Essentially, everywhere else in the city that was just not described…would be become a low-sensitivity area,” said Dunston.

The EMP does not suggest any new services for homeless people but suggests expanding current services that already exist in some areas homeless people live.

These include hand-washing stations, portable toilets, weekly mobile showers, and waste collection. The waste collection does not include dumpsters and the city currently encourages residents to put their trash in piles.

City Council President Rebecca Kaplan and City Councilmember Dan Kalb both claimed they have heard complaints from residents that many toilets are not being serviced regularly.

Public comments on the EMP were mixed, with some residents supporting and some criticizing it. But homeless advocates, homeless advocate groups, and formerly and current homeless residents criticized it, claiming it expanded the criminalization of homelessness while not offering any new services.

They also criticized how the meeting was set up without including homeless people. While around 60 people gave public comments, only two people currently experiencing homelessness spoke.

Representatives from The Village, Love & Justice in The Streets, The Homeless Advocacy Working Group (HAWG), The Ella Baker Center, The Berkeley Free Clinic, and Shelter Oak all criticized the policy and suggested the LEC should not send the proposal to City Council, essentially asking them to ask the City Administration to create a new EMP. The Village, HAWG and Shelter Oak also sent e-mails to the city denouncing the current EMP.

“When taking into account all the locations listed as high-sensitivity areas, the policy would leave unhoused residents with effectively zero options as to where they can live without fear of displacement,” said Katie Kelly-Hankin of Love & Justice in The Streets. “Furthermore the policy lacks common-sense action steps to address the human rights crisis in our city, such as providing access to safe cooking facilities, safe electrical outlets, and offering hotel rooms to residents if and when encampments must undergo a deep cleaning.”

Kelly-Hankin asked that the LEC refer to suggestions outlined in an email ShelterOAK wrote to improve the EMP.

The LEC consisting of Kaplan, Kalb, and Councilmembers Lynette Gibson-McElhaney and Loren Taylor unanimously approved sending the proposed EMP to City Council but questioned whether the current low-sensitivity areas would offer enough and appropriate space.

They suggested exploring options for property, including unused county fairgrounds, which unhoused people could possibly live in. Kaplan specifically asked for the City Administration to offer a map of high-sensitivity and low-sensitivity areas to have a clear view of where homeless people could live under the policy.

The EMP is currently set to be brought to City Council on Oct. 20. It will not go into effect unless the council approves it.

Michelle Snider

Associate Editor for The Post News Group. Writer, Photographer, Videographer, Copy Editor, and website editor documenting local events in the Oakland-Bay Area California area.

Posts by Michelle Snider | Website

Up Next

Post Endorses School Board Candidates Demanding Full Local Control, Oppose School Closings

Don't Miss

City of Oakland Awarded $20M in California State Homekey Funding

Michelle Snider

Associate Editor for The Post News Group. Writer, Photographer, Videographer, Copy Editor, and website editor documenting local events in the Oakland-Bay Area California area.

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

4 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.