City Government

City Earmarks $600,000 for Fire Survivors, As Faith Groups Continue Fundraising

Published

10 years ago

April 19, 2017

Rebecca Kaplan Auctions Warriors tickets to help survivors

Oakland is still struggling to resettle the survivors of the San Pablo Avenue fire that killed four people and displaced over 70 households.
The Oakland City Council voted unanimously at its meeting this week to spend $615,000 in community development block grant money to help relocate the tenants who were displaced by the March 27 fire at 2551 San Pablo Ave.

So far this week, 54 residents of building have already been approved to receive relocation assistance. Survivors are eligible for assistance ranging from $6,500 to $12,375.

Also this week, City Councilmember-at-Large Rebecca Kaplan arranged to auction off a pair Warriors’ tickets in the city’s private suite at Oracle Arena to raise money to benefit the survivors.

Kaplan said the city has received numerous complaints that officials are not doing enough to help.

“The amount of response from the administration has been much less than after Ghost Ship,” Kaplan said. “And serious concerns from the people of the San Pablo fire that people still haven’t been able to get their lives back together.”

“It’s not fair to expect struggling tenants, who have lost their homes, to go through the process of suing the property owner for relocation assistance,” said Kaplan. “Having them do this would cause the very thing that we’re trying to protect, displacement of Oakland residents.”

Coordinating fundraising to support the fire survivors, Oakland Faith-based leaders and community-based organizations continue to seek donations to the West Oakland San Pablo Fire Relief and Advocacy Team.

Co-chairs of the advocacy team are Pastor Debra Avery of the First Presbyterian Church of Oakland and Bishop Joseph E. Simmons of Greater Saint Paul Missionary Baptist Church.

The organization has designated the First Presbyterian Church of Oakland as the fiscal agent for the San Pablo Fire Relief and Advocacy Team Advocacy fund. Checks can be made out to: FPCO and mailed to the church at 2619 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612.

Or you can make a donation online (501c3 – all donations are tax-deductible):