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Kaplan, Councilmembers Support Expanded Safe Car Park Program for Unhoused

The need for safe overnight parking is crucial and well-documented, according to Kaplan. In January 2022, the Point-In-Time Homeless Count and Survey revealed that there are more than 3,337 unsheltered individuals in Oakland, and the number of people living in their vehicles has increased. Homelessness is a complex crisis that requires both short-term and long-term solutions, she said.

Published

4 months ago

January 2, 2024

Oakland Post

Rebecca Kaplan. Courtesy of KRON4.

By Post Staff

Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan has released a statement saying she is encouraged that the Oakland City Council has approved resolutions she introduced in partnership with Council President Nikki Bas and Councilmember Carroll Fife to support local faith-based congregations who use their properties as safe overnight parking to help Oakland’s unhoused population living in their vehicles.

The data shows that while the proportion of unhoused people living in tents has decreased in recent years, the proportion living in cars has increased. Therefore, this effort partners with local faith-based organizations to help those living in their vehicles, Kaplan said.

The Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC) Safe Parking program provides safe and legal overnight parking at local churches. This program provides support for minor auto repairs, car registration and tickets, along with access to showers and laundry. It is an essential program for Oakland’s unhoused population that lives in their vehicles, including single adults, couples and families with small children, Kaplan said.“The Interfaith Council of Alameda County, in partnership with the Westside Missionary Baptist Church, has run a safe car park program for the last five years with many other congregations and partner nonprofits. With the leadership of Kaplan, on the Council, the Mayor’s office, Council President Nikki Bas, and Councilmember Carrol Fife, we were able to get a commitment of funding of $450,000 from the City of Oakland to expand our operations to three sites to continue to support the Oakland community living in their cars,” said Rev. Ken Chambers, ICAC president.Kaplan has pointed out that the city has money for the safe car park program but has not spent it.Oakland voters approved Measure Q with 68% of the vote. Measure Q promised voters park maintenance, litter reduction and homelessness intervention in and around city parks. However, the City Auditor found the City underspent collected taxes, accruing a fund balance of nearly $22 million as of June 30, 2023.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

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1 day ago

April 26, 2024

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Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

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1 week ago

April 19, 2024

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Oakland Schools Honor Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties

Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice. His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.

Published

1 week ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

Fred Korematsu. Courtesy of OUSD.

By Post Staff

Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice.

His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.
One OUSD school is named in his honor: Fred T. Korematsu Discovery Academy (KDA) elementary in East Oakland.

Several years ago, founding KDA Principal Charles Wilson, in a video interview with anti-hate organization “Not In Our Town,” said, “We chose the name Fred Korematsu because we really felt like the attributes that he showed in his work are things that the children need to learn … that common people can stand up and make differences in a large number of people’s lives.”

Fred Korematsu was born in Oakland on Jan. 30, 1919. His parents ran a floral nursery business, and his upbringing in Oakland shaped his worldview. His belief in the importance of standing up for your rights and the rights of others, regardless of race or background, was the foundation for his activism against racial prejudice and for the rights of Japanese Americans during World War II.

At the start of the war, Korematsu was turned away from enlisting in the National Guard and the Coast Guard because of his race. He trained as a welder, working at the docks in Oakland, but was fired after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Fear and prejudice led to federal Executive Order 9066, which forced more than 120,000 Japanese Americans out of their homes and neighborhoods and into remote internment camps.

The 23-year-old Korematsu resisted the order. He underwent cosmetic surgery and assumed a false identity, choosing freedom over unjust imprisonment. His later arrest and conviction sparked a legal battle that would challenge the foundation of civil liberties in America.

Korematsu’s fight culminated in the Supreme Court’s initial ruling against him in 1944. He spent years in a Utah internment camp with his family, followed by time living in Salt Lake City where he was dogged by racism.

In 1976, President Gerald Ford overturned Executive Order 9066. Seven years later, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco vacated Korematsu’s conviction. He said in court, “I would like to see the government admit that they were wrong and do something about it so this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed, or color.”

Korematsu’s dedication and determination established him as a national icon of civil rights and social justice. He advocated for justice with Rosa Parks. In 1998, President Bill Clinton gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom saying, “In the long history of our country’s constant search for justice, some names of ordinary citizens stand for millions of souls … To that distinguished list, today we add the name of Fred Korematsu.”

After Sept. 11, 2001, Korematsu spoke out against hatred and discrimination, saying what happened to Japanese Americans should not happen to people of Middle Eastern descent.
Korematsu’s roots in Oakland and his education in OUSD are a source of great pride for the city, according to the school district. His most famous quote, which is on the Korematsu elementary school mural, is as relevant now as ever, “If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don’t be afraid to speak up.”