City Government

Council Committee Passes Motion for Immediate Relief to Homeless Crisis

Published

8 years ago

May 24, 2017

The City Council’s Life Enrichment Committee this week passed a motion calling for immediate relief to Oakland’s homeless crisis.

The motion, proposed by Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan, followed the staff report on funding recommendations to address homelessness in Oakland.

The motion included:

That the city support not less than the staff recommendation for funding of homeless services and funding to operate a new navigation center building in the 2017-2019 budget, anticipated to be needed to be added in year two;

That the initial allocation of the Measure KK infrastructure bond include funding to purchase at least one Single Room Occupancy (SRO) property to create a new homeless navigation center building, similar to the Henry Robinson Multi-Service Center in downtown Oakland;

That staff will return with recommended sites for outdoor navigation centers;

To request scheduling for a future committee meeting to discuss an Emergency Ordinance, and working with congregations and other non-profit organizations to allow for RVs or similar vehicles on their sites; and

That the city should ask Alameda County to work as partner to help the city acquire and fund services for a new navigation center building and outdoor navigation centers.
Navigation centers are designed to be place where people who are homeless and living on the street can navigate the services the city offers, all in one place.
Prior to Tuesday’s Life Enrichment Committee, Councilmember Kaplan sent a letter to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors requesting a city-county partnership to work for immediate action to remedy the large and growing homeless crisis in our community, including launching “navigation centers” in Alameda County.

Councilmember Kaplan also attended an Alameda County Committee Meeting focused on solutions to homelessness. At that meeting, members of the Board of Supervisors asked that Oakland officially go on the record asking for the County’s help and committing to taking actions as a City as well.

Kaplan’s motion will be discussed at the Tuesday, May 30 City Council Meeting.