City Government

Board of Supervisors OKs Lease for Shelter At 711 Post Street

“It is going to take all of us working together as a city if we want to achieve our ambitious effort to move thousands of people off the street and into shelter and permanent housing,” said Mayor London Breed. “The approval of the lease at 711 Post not only allows us to build on the progress that we have made over the past two years to add new hotels for housing and shelter, but it also provides us an opportunity to recreate a temporary shelter model that further meets the needs of all of our homeless residents.”

Published

4 years ago

February 13, 2022

Oakland Post

San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed.

Site will provide temporary shelter for 200-250 people experiencing homelessness in the surrounding area, building on Mayor Breed’s Homelessness Recovery Plan

The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to approve Mayor London N. Breed’s proposal to open a new shelter at 711 Post St. for adults experiencing homelessness. The vote to fund the master lease and operations of the Ansonia Hotel will allow the site to be used as a semi-congregate shelter, with 123 units ranging from singles to quads able to shelter approximately 250 people.

“It is going to take all of us working together as a city if we want to achieve our ambitious effort to move thousands of people off the street and into shelter and permanent housing,” said Mayor Breed. “The approval of the lease at 711 Post not only allows us to build on the progress that we have made over the past two years to add new hotels for housing and shelter, but it also provides us an opportunity to recreate a temporary shelter model that further meets the needs of all of our homeless residents.”

The City conducted a search for properties that would allow long-term semi or non-congregate shelter options that build off the lessons learned at Shelter in Place hotels, leading to the implementation of a new type of shelter model.

The site at 711 Post offers a unique opportunity to provide shelter in a building with private and small rooms, community space, and high-quality amenities rather than a traditional congregate facility.

Other amenities include a lobby and front desk, basement, community area, commercial kitchen, dining space, laundry room, office space, security camera system, elevator, lockers and storage, and bathrooms and showers on each floor.

“Shelter is a critical and core component of our Homelessness Response System,” said Shireen McSpadden, executive director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. “With our concentrated efforts at the Tenderloin Linkage Center, there is an increased urgency to expand our shelter capacity to people experiencing homelessness who are ready to exit the street.”

The site will have 24-hour staffing, services, and daytime case management provided by non-profit partner Urban Alchemy, who was selected due to their recent success managing Shelter in Place Hotels, Safe Sleep programs, and community ambassador programs.

The contract with Urban Alchemy will also include funding for street activation and monitoring in the surrounding area 24 hours per day, seven days per week, focusing on discouraging loitering and preventing encampment activity and disruptive behavior outside of the shelter.

“The 711 Post model is an incredible opportunity to provide a stable shelter with resources for those in need, and to ensure cleaner, safer streets in the surrounding neighborhood,” said Lena Miller, CEO of Urban Alchemy. “Urban Alchemy is committed to delivering our holistic approach — embracing our unhoused neighbors who need safe spaces and embracing the neighborhood, so the quality of life improves for everyone.”

The lease of 711 Post Street builds on Mayor Breed’s Homelessness Recovery Plan by helping the City create more shelter and housing for homeless residents as San Francisco emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. Through Mayor Breed’s plan, the City will expand capacity in the Homelessness Response System and aims to make 6,000 placements available for people experiencing homelessness by expanding the City’s housing options.

Progress on Mayor Breed’s Homelessness Recovery Plan can be found here: sf.gov/data/homelessness-recovery-plan

The San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Communication provided this report.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 24 – 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 24 – 30, 2025

Published

4 days ago

December 25, 2025

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Oakland Council Expands Citywide Security Cameras Despite Major Opposition

In a 7-1 vote in favor of the contract, with only District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife voting no, the Council agreed to maintain its existing network of 291 cameras and add 40 new “pan-tilt-zoom cameras.”

Published

1 week ago

December 21, 2025

Oakland Post

At the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference, Flock Safety introduces new public safety technology – Amplified Intelligence, a suite of AI-powered tools designed to improve law enforcement investigations. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland City Council this week approved a $2.25 million contract with Flock Safety for a mass surveillance network of hundreds of security cameras to track vehicles in the city.

In recent weeks hundreds of local residents have spoken against the camera system, raising concerns that data will be shared with immigration authorities and other federal agencies at a time when mass surveillance is growing across the country with little regard for individual rights.

The Flock network, supported by the Oakland Police Department, has the backing of residents and councilmembers who see it as an important tool to protect public safety.

“This system makes the Department more efficient as it allows for information related to disruptive/violent criminal activities to be captured … and allows for precise and focused enforcement,” OPD wrote in its proposal to City Council.

According to OPD, police made 232 arrests using data from Flock cameras between July 2024 and November of this year.

Based on the data, police say they recovered 68 guns, and utilizing the countywide system, they have found 1,100 stolen vehicles.

However, Flock’s cameras cast a wide net. The company’s cameras in Oakland last month captured license plate numbers and other information from about 1.4 million vehicles.

Speaking at Tuesday’s Council meeting, Fife was critical of her colleagues for signing a contract with a company that has been in the national spotlight for sharing data with federal agencies.

Flock’s cameras – which are automated license plate readers – have been used in tracking people who have had abortions, monitoring protesters, and aiding in deportation roundups.

“I don’t know how we get up and have several press conferences talking about how we are supportive of a sanctuary city status but then use a vendor that has been shown to have a direct relationship with (the U.S.) Border Control,” she said. “It doesn’t make sense to me.”

Several councilmembers who voted in favor of the contract said they supported the deal as long as some safeguards were written into the Council’s resolution.

“We’re not aiming for perfection,” said District 1 Councilmember Zac Unger. “This is not Orwellian facial recognition technology — that’s prohibited in Oakland. The road forward here is to add as many amendments as we can.”

Amendments passed by the Council prohibit OPD from sharing camera data with any other agencies for the purpose of “criminalizing reproductive or gender affirming healthcare” or for federal immigration enforcement. California state law also prohibits the sharing of license plate reader data with the federal government, and because Oakland’s sanctuary city status, OPD is not allowed to cooperate with immigration authorities.

A former member of Oakland’s Privacy Advisory Commission has sued OPD, alleging that it has violated its own rules around data sharing.

So far, OPD has shared Flock data with 50 other law enforcement agencies.

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Black Arts Movement Business District Named New Cultural District in California

Located in the heart of District 3, the BAMBD is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most important centers of Black cultural production — a space where artists, entrepreneurs, organizers, and cultural workers have shaped generations of local and national identity. The state’s recognition affirms the district’s historic importance and its future promise.

Published

1 week ago

December 20, 2025

Oakland Post

Councilmember Carroll Fife celebrates major milestone for Black arts, culture, and economic power in Oakland. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

Oakland’s Black Arts Movement Business District (BAMBD) has been selected as one of California’s 10 new state-designated Cultural Districts, a distinction awarded by the California Arts Council (CAC), according to a media statement released by Councilmember Carroll Fife.

The BAMBD now joins 23 other districts across the state recognized for their deep cultural legacy, artistic excellence, and contributions to California’s creative economy.

“This designation is a testament to what Black Oakland has built — and what we continue to build when we insist on investing in our own cultural and economic power,” said Fife.

“For years, our community has fought for meaningful recognition and resources for the Black Arts Movement Business District,” she said. “This announcement validates that work and ensures that BAMBD receives the support it needs to grow, thrive, and continue shaping the cultural fabric of California.”

Since taking office, Fife has led and supported multiple initiatives that strengthened the groundwork for this achievement, including:

Restoring and protecting arts and cultural staffing within the City of Oakland.
Creating the West Oakland Community Fund to reinvest in historically excluded communities
Advancing a Black New Deal study to expand economic opportunity for Black Oakland
Ensuring racial equity impact analyses for development proposals, improving access for Black businesses and Black contractors
Introduced legislation and budget amendments that formalized, protected, and expanded the BAMBD

“These efforts weren’t abstract,” Fife said. “They were intentional, coordinated, and rooted in a belief that Black arts and Black businesses deserve deep, sustained public investment.”

As part of the Cultural District designation, BAMBD will receive:

$10,000 over two years
Dedicated technical assistance
Statewide marketing and branding support
Official designation from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2030

This support will elevate the visibility of BAMBD’s artists, cultural organizations, small businesses, and legacy institutions, while helping attract new investment to the district.

“The BAMBD has always been more than a district,” Fife continued. “This recognition by the State of California gives us another tool in the fight to preserve Black culture, build Black economic power, and protect the families and institutions that make Oakland strong.”

For questions, contact Councilmember Carroll Fife at CFife@oaklandca.gov.