Bay Area

Is a Billionaire Serving Unhoused Oakland Residents Eviction Notices?

Published

6 years ago

January 9, 2020

Game Changer LLC has erected a fence and served eviction papers to nine unhoused Oakland residents. The fence pictured to the left surrounds the broken down RV that serves as Natasha Noel’s home, who is a long term Oakland resident. Photo by Zack Haber.

In mid-December, Game Changer LLC, delivered eviction notices to and erected a fence around nine unhoused residents who live on a tract of land west of Wood Street in West Oakland in an effort to force them to leave property the company owns but has left unused since its purchase.

Game Changer appears to be owned by Fred Craves, who owns or has owned two other corporations worth over a billion dollars each. Some of the nine unhoused residents have lived on the land for over eight years. The company has recently hired a security guard to keep watch over the area.

“With regard to the eviction suit, well over 90% of the campers who were on the private property left without the need for legal action,” said Pat Smith of Smith LLP, a firm representing Game Changer. “Almost all of them are looking forward to improved conditions that will result from the Safe Parking Center.”

Smith’s statement refers to a proposed city plan to convert the site temporarily into a city-run safe parking site for unhoused residents who live in vehicles. While city documents show plans for a new West Oakland safe parking site that had originally been set to open in November 2019, an email from October 2019 to The Oakland Post from Oakland Assistant City Administrator Joe DeVries, said that “the owner would need to clean [the site] thoroughly first before it could be developed into such use.”

If such a site were opened and were similar to other city-run safe parking sites, it wouldn’t be available to most of the nine residents still staying on Game Changer’s land. So far, the city run safe parking sites have only been available to those living in vehicles. Several of the residents on the land don’t live in vehicles, but in self-made homes or tents. Other city-run safe parking sites haven’t allowed oversized vehicles or vehicles that are inoperable. Several of the residents on the land live in large buses and one lives in a broken down RV. Other city-run safe parking sites also have limited resident stays to six months.

On Nov. 5 and 6, 2019, the City of Oakland and the Oakland Police Department cleared abandoned vehicles and asked residents on the site to leave. While it’s difficult to say how many were on the site at the time, most residents estimated the population at around 100. Most residents did leave when asked and many who left moved either to the curbside of Wood Street or onto bordering land owned by Caltrans. But some residents, with the support of a protest staged by more than three dozen Oaklanders, decided to stay on Game Changer’s land. Those who remained are now the ones both fenced in and subject to legal action by Game Changer.

“The owner of the property has entered into a lease with the City of Oakland to enable the city to operate the property as a safe parking center,” said Smith in a Jan. 3 email to The Oakland Post, confirming Game Changer’s plans to let the city use its site. “The initial term of the lease is 18 months from commencement of operations. Rent is one dollar per year.”

Neither Game Changer’s lawyers nor the City of Oakland have yet mentioned who the owner of the company is. But a search into California’s Secretary of State’s online service for information on LLCs shows that Frederick B. Craves, who also goes by Fred Craves, registered Game Changer LLC in June 2012.

While the company’s jurisdiction is listed as “Delaware,” its mailing address is listed in downtown San Francisco. Game Changer’s listed mailing address is the same as Bay City Capital LLC, which Craves registered in 1997 and whose website describes it as “a life science investment firm” that has over $1.3 billion in capital commitments.

In 2009, Forbes reported that Craves funded a firm called Reliant Pharmaceuticals, which he sold to a company called GlaxoSmithKline for $1.7 billion in cash in 2007.

The Oakland Post contacted Bay City Capital and spoke with Craves’ assistant, who said she would pass our inquiry onto Craves. At press time, Craves had not commented and it remains unclear what his intentions are for the site after the 18-month lease is up.

Zack Haber

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Bay Area

IN MEMORIAM: Longtime OUSD Employee Debra King-Cooper, 73

Longtime OUSD Employee Debra King-Cooper, 73 Caption: Debra King-Cooper. Courtesy photo. Special to The Post Debra King-Cooper, a beloved mother, grandmother, queen, sister, church member, caregiver, and matriarch, transitioned peacefully on May 20 surrounded by family and love i

Published

11 hours ago

June 17, 2026

bpusa-syndication

Debra King-Cooper. Courtesy photo.

Special to The Post

Debra King-Cooper, a beloved mother, grandmother, queen, sister, church member, caregiver, and matriarch, transitioned peacefully on May 20 surrounded by family and love in the comfort of her home. To her children, she was royalty, grace, strength, and unconditional love embodied.

Debra Diane Edgar was born on May 28, 1952, in San Francisco, California, to Charles Edgar Sr. and Mamie Arthur Edgar. She was raised alongside her younger brother, Charles Edgar Jr., affectionately known as “Little Brother” or “Lil Bruh.” She also shared close bonds with her older siblings Carol Edgar-Lang, Maryann Edgar Calloway, and Lonnie Lewis Sr.

A proud product of San Francisco’s historic Fillmore District, Debra attended Andrew Jackson Elementary School, where she met her lifelong best friend and adopted sister, Lynn Green, in the fifth grade. She later attended Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary School, Roosevelt Junior High School and Thomas Jefferson High School.

Debra’s mother transitioned when she was only 17 years old, and her father transitioned when she was 23. Despite these profound losses, Debra remained grounded through the love and support of extended family and lifelong family friends,

In 1971, she married Harold King. On Sept. 24, 1972, they welcomed their first son, Dajuan Artese King, affectionately called “Pop” or “Poppa.” On Aug. 5, 1976, they welcomed their second son, Dante Dupree King, affectionately called “Tay” or “Taboocoo the Baby.”

After her divorce in 1982, Debra assumed full responsibility for raising her sons.

She supported Dajuan’s passion for football by purchasing sports equipment and attending games faithfully. She supported Dante’s love of music by enrolling him in the San Francisco Boys Choir, Oakland Boys Choir, and the Castlemont Castleers.

Professionally, Debra built an exceptional career. She worked at Blue Shield of California from 1973 until 1994, earning multiple promotions.

She later joined the Oakland Unified School District, initially in a temporary role before being promoted into management within the Labor Relations Department. She retired from OUSD in 2015 after years of distinguished service. During her years at OUSD, she built meaningful friendships with her colleagues.

Faith was central to Debra’s life. During the 1980s, following personal hardship, she joined Love Center Church under the leadership of Bishop Walter Hawkins, where she brought her children regularly. She later became a member of Triumphant: A Church Without Walls Ministries under Pastor Dr. Larry Short, who became a beloved spiritual mentor.

After Triumphant closed in 1992, Debra joined Cosmopolitan Baptist Church in Oakland under the leadership of Pastor Larry Ashley, where she remained for the rest of her life.

At Cosmopolitan, she worked in numerous ministries. She served on the usher board, sang in the choir, participated in the AIDS ministry during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, helped feed and support unhoused community members, and mentored and supported a group of young girls.

After retirement, she cared for older adults in her church community, driving them to appointments, cleaning their homes, managing finances, preparing meals, and helping families navigate funeral arrangements after loved ones transitioned.

Even while battling Stage 4 cancer herself, she continued caring for others.

Debra was preceded in death by her parents, Charles Edgar Sr. and Mamie Arthur Edgar; her brothers, Lonnie Lewis Sr. and Charles Edgar Jr.; her sisters, Maryann Edgar Calloway and Victoria Stephenson Knight; and her adopted mother, Clara Oliver.

She leaves to cherish her memory her beloved sons, Dajuan King and Dante King; grandson, Tiyler Dajuan Artese King; sister, Carol Edgar-Lang; goddaughters Monique Belle and Ricketa Matthews Jones (Leonard); daughter-in-love Quiona Sullivan; son-in-love Marcel Walker; sister-in-law Delores Lewis; adopted sisters and lifelong friends Lynn Green, Barbara Stephenson Hill, and Sarah Fine; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, great-nieces, great-nephews, extended family members, her church family and dear friends.