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Local Faith Community Offers Safe Spaces for Homeless, Hoping for Mayor’s Support

Published

8 years ago

August 31, 2018

Local faith-based organizations have stepped up to help create a solution to the human rights crisis posed by the City’s failure so far to effectively respond to the growing homeless encampments in Oakland— including the public health dangers associated with large numbers of unhoused people living on the streets.

Five local churches have already agreed to offer their church parking lots as spaces where the homeless can live in tiny houses, as they become available, or park and live in their vehicles in safety with bathrooms, running water and garbage disposal—not preyed on by criminals or periodically driven from their encampments by police and city officials.

In addition, the churches have facilities that can be used for classrooms for job and career training, as well as to provide county health and human services.

Surprisingly, the main obstacle to these faith-based proposals appears to be the indifference and lack of urgency on the part of Mayor Libby Schaaf and her administration, which has not acted on this proposal for nine months.

When the members of the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC) met with the mayor in March, she was unsympathetic to short-term solutions proposed by the faith leaders.

When she attended a public meeting of ICAC in June, she pledged to expedite the proposal. However, ICAC only received one noncommittal call from the Mayor’s Office. No further calls or emails were sent to ICAC between June and this week, when the administration finally agreed to start the process of providing resources for the proposal.

But the process, as outlined by the city official, could not likely be implemented before the November election—possibly not until next year.

ICAC’s proposal, developed late last year, was to create safe car parks and tiny homes for the homeless throughout Alameda County.

“We want to start this in Oakland, but this will be a countywide initiative for safe car parks and spaces for tiny homes,” said Pastor Ken Chambers, founder and president of ICAC.

The first priority will be to provide space for families and women with children. Two tiny houses, built by students at Laney College in Oakland, will provide spaces for homeless Laney students, he said.
Five Oakland churches have expressed interest in providing space for safe car parks:

Corinthian Baptist Church,
North Oakland Missionary Baptist Church,
Pleasant Grove Baptist Church,
Morning Star Baptist Church,
West Side Missionary Baptist Church.

Other faith organizations that are supporting the effort include Temple Sinai, which is providing bedding and supplies, and Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, which is providing organizational sponsorship.

Dr. Kenneth Anderson of Williams Chapel Baptist Church is hosting the upcoming ICAC meeting and is planning to build affordable housing at his church for seniors.

The San Francisco Foundation is providing a $175,000 two-year grant to ICAC for capacity building and car parks. The City of Oakland has earmarked $300,000 for homeless hygiene, which staff has said could be directed to the safe car park program.

When Mayor Schaaf first met in March with 30 community members organized by ICAC, she did not back the proposal, instead countering with a suggestion of long-term affordable housing in the church parking lots, said Pastor Chambers.

ICAC supports affordable housing development but is calling for immediate emergency temporary tiny housing.

“It was a very tense meeting,” he said. “A lot of folks thought her tone was really insensitive to the needs of the homeless population. She was not interested in ICAC’s temporary, short-term solutions.”
While it is true the Mayor’s administration has found funding for some Tuff Sheds, the crisis is still growing, he continued.

“When you visit the encampments, you see rats. You see people living without water or basic hygiene,” said Pastor Chambers. “There are homeless families with children. This is not something that can wait. The City needs to act on this today.”

In April, the City Council passed a resolution that included ICAC’s requests, directing the administration to follow up within 90 days by “giving authorizations to churches and other community-based organizations to use their properties to help the homeless, as well as coming up with proposals regarding insurance and more,” said Councilmember-at-Large Rebecca Kaplan.

At the June ICAC meeting, Mayor Schaaf committed to moving ahead on the proposal. After the meeting, the only response was from the Mayor’s chief of staff, who said the administration had to research the commitments that the mayor had made.

Pastor Chambers did not receive any more follow-up or return calls for almost two months.
Pastor Chambers finally received a call from Assistant City Administrator Joe DeVries this week, informing the Pastor that the proposal for the $300,000 grant would go to city’s Life Enrichment committee Sept. 11, and then to City Council.

An RFP process could then start in October, which means the project could go ahead as late as November, or even next year.

Pastor Chambers says that after waiting all these months, the city should not go through an RFP, but instead should give a sole source grant to ICAC to get the project rolling.

“To me, this is just kicking the can down the road. The mayor gets the credit for making the announcement rather than doing something. To me, this is playing politics,” he said.

“Putting off this program until after the November election raises alarm bells whether the administration has the intention to ever implement our proposal,” he added. “People in the homeless encampments are living in survival mode. We need to provide space for them right now that is safe.”

In a response to the Oakland Post’s questions to the mayor, her office wrote:

“The council resolution did direct staff to follow up on a safe parking proposal, yet it did not allocate any funding for this program.”

“In order to efficiently initiate the program, Mayor Schaaf and City staff recommend that the Council re-allocate the $300,000 (in funding), which was set-aside in the mid-cycle budget for sanitation services, to a grant program for organizations that wish to utilize their parking lots for a safe parking program.”

ICAC is holding a community meeting Thursday, Sept. 13, noon to 2 p.m. at Williams Chapel Baptist Church, 1410 10th Ave. in Oakland.

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Oakland Mayor Pushes Charter Overhaul to Clarify Roles in City Government, Increase Accountability and Improve Service Delivery

Under the proposal, the mayor would serve as Oakland’s chief executive, overseeing city departments, implementing policy, proposing the annual budget, and managing day-to-day operations. The measure would also give the mayor veto power over legislation and the budget, though the City Council could override a veto with a two-thirds vote.

Published

1 week ago

May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. File photo.

By Oakland Post Staff

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee is backing a sweeping proposal to restructure Oakland’s government, arguing the changes would make City Hall more accountable and improve the delivery of basic services like public safety, homelessness response, and infrastructure repairs.

The charter reform measure, introduced April 7 and co-sponsored by Oakland City Council President Kevin Jenkins, would ask voters in November to approve a “strong mayor, strong council” system designed to create clearer lines of authority inside city government.

The City Council, meanwhile, would maintain legislative authority by adopting ordinances, approving budgets, conducting oversight hearings, and confirming key mayoral appointments. The proposal would also create an Independent Budget and Legislative Analyst Office to provide nonpartisan fiscal and policy analysis for councilmembers.

“I’ve spent months listening to Oaklanders across every neighborhood about what they expect from their city government,” Lee said. “The Charter Reform Working Group’s engagement made clear that residents want a system where there are no questions about who is responsible for delivering results on public safety, homelessness, infrastructure, and basic services.”

Jenkins said the proposal would strengthen both executive leadership and council oversight.

“I’ve long believed Oakland works best when residents have clear lines of accountability and a government structure that aligns responsibility with results,” Jenkins said.

The proposal follows recommendations from the Mayor’s Charter Reform Working Group, co-facilitated by the League of Women Voters of Oakland and SPUR.

Over five months, the group conducted more than 60 interviews, held 14 public meetings across Oakland, and engaged more than 750 residents while reviewing governance models used in other cities.

“The process of engaging residents across Oakland surfaced the governance clarity Oakland needs,” said Sujata Srivastava of SPUR. “The Charter Reform Working Group has produced a thoughtful set of recommendations that if adopted could strengthen accountability and improve service delivery across city government.”

Polling cited by the mayor’s office suggests voters may be open to the changes. A February 2026 poll by the East Bay Polling Institute found 64% of voters support adopting a strong-mayor system. Separate polling conducted by the Oakland Chamber of Commerce and David Binder Research found support ranging from 61% to 63% among likely voters.

The measure is scheduled to be heard by the City Council Rules Committee on May 21. If approved by the council, it would appear on the November 2026 ballot, where Oakland voters would have the final say.

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Activism

The Ladies of Delta Sigma Theta Hold Day of Advocacy at the Capitol in Sacramento

A member of the “Divine Nine,” Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., was founded on Jan. 13, 1913, at Howard University in Washington, D.C. The organization was established by 22 women who sought to shift the group’s focus from social activities to public service, academic excellence, and social activism.

Published

1 week ago

May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Sen. Laura Richardson (D-San Pedro) presents a Senate resolution to the Delta Theta Sigma Sorority Farwest Region at the State Capitol on May 4. Photo courtesy of the Senate Rules Committee.

By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media

On May 4, members of the Farwest Region of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., convened at the California State Capitol for the organization’s 23rd annual Delta Days in Sacramento.

The two-day advocacy event brings together chapters from across California to engage directly in the legislative process, connect with lawmakers, and advocate for policies impacting Black communities.

Members of the sorority were honored on the Senate floor by Sen. Laura Richardson (D-San Pedro), who is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta.

Richardson welcomed the Farwest Region during the presentation of a Senate resolution recognizing outgoing Regional Director Kimberly Usher for her leadership and service.

“In addition to the Far West Region, we are led by a fearless leader, regional director Kimberly Usher. She has now served her full term of what’s allowed,” Richardson said. “We are going to be having our regional conference, but we wanted to give it to her here, officially recognizing her service.”

The resolution was co-authored by Richardson and fellow members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and Delta Sigma Theta, Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego) and Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom (D-Stockton).

Usher has served in the leadership role since 2022.

“We are founded on sisterhood that is deeply rooted in scholarship, service, and social action,” said Weber Pierson, a member of the Gamma Alpha chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

“Today, we continue a legacy of empowering communities and upholding the high cultural, intellectual, and moral standards established by our founders over a century ago,” she added.

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Activism

Rep. Kamlager-Dove Introduces Bill to Protect Women in Custody After Reports Detailing Miscarriages and Neglect

The Pregnant Women in Custody Act would expand safeguards beyond the federal prison system to include women detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The proposal follows reports of pregnant women being shackled, denied medical care and suffering miscarriages while in immigration detention.

Published

1 week ago

May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

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By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37) on May 7, reintroduced updated legislation aimed at strengthening protections and healthcare standards for pregnant and postpartum women held in federal custody, including in immigration detention facilities.

The Pregnant Women in Custody Act would expand safeguards beyond the federal prison system to include women detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The proposal follows reports of pregnant women being shackled, denied medical care and suffering miscarriages while in immigration detention.

The legislation builds on a bipartisan version previously passed by the House during the 117th Congress. The updated bill includes new standards for healthcare access, mental health and substance use treatment, high-risk pregnancy care, family unity protections and increased federal oversight.

“Proper pregnancy care is a human right, regardless of your immigration or incarceration status,” Kamlager-Dove said in a statement. “It’s unacceptable that there are virtually no legal safeguards for pregnant women in federal custody.”

The bill would also limit the use of restraints and restrictive housing for pregnant women, improve data collection on maternal health in custody and require additional staff training and enforcement measures.

Supporters of the measure said the legislation is intended to address long-standing concerns about maternal healthcare and safety in detention settings, particularly for Black women and low-income women who are disproportionately impacted by incarceration and health disparities.

“Pregnant women in custody should never be subjected to dangerous and inhumane treatment that threatens their health, dignity, or the well-being of their babies,” said Patrice Willoughby, chief of policy and legislative affairs for the NAACP and a longtime public policy and government affairs strategist, in a statement.

A 2021 report estimated there are about 58,000 admissions of pregnant women into U.S. jails and prisons each year. Kamlager’s statement also cited a recent investigation by NBC News and Bloomberg Law that identified allegations of severe mistreatment or medical neglect involving at least 54 pregnant women or families in county jails between 2017 and 2024.

Federal policy under the Department of Homeland Security restricts the detention of pregnant, postpartum and nursing immigrants except in extreme cases. However, the agency reported that ICE deported 363 pregnant, postpartum or nursing women between January 2025 and February 2026, including 16 recorded miscarriages during that period.

The bill is cosponsored by several House Democrats and backed by organizations including the NAACP and the Vera Institute of Justice.