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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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Art

Oakland Director Boots Dazzles Once Again in ‘I Love Boosters’

Riley’s creative output is influenced by progressive ideals. His work, which includes six albums, the 2018 film “Sorry to Bother You,” and the 2023 comedy series “I’m a Virgo,” always shows that the alienation working-class people feel is inevitable under capitalism, he recently told The Guardian.

Published

2 hours ago

June 10, 2026

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Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, and Keke Palmer star in “I Love Boosters” playing now in theaters. Directed by Oakland resident Boots Riley. Image courtesy of Neon.

“I feel lonely,” Keke Palmer’s character Corvette says in the first few minutes “I Love Boosters,” the new comedy adventure film from Oakland-based director Boots Riley.

“I wish I could feel lonely,” Naomi Ackie’s character Sade responds. “Try having kids.”

“I Love Boosters” teems with kaleidoscopic colors, sharp playful social critique, otherworldly plot twists, and fast-paced action, but it’s grounded in its main characters’ simple and relatable motivations: They want to be less isolated, and more free to pursue their own creative endeavors.

They’d like to design clothes and run a fashion boutique, but, unfortunately, they’re mostly busy surviving. Corvette and Sade, along with Mariah, played by Taylour Page, hustle and scheme through their brilliant scrappy organized crime group, the Velvet Gang. The gang regularly boosts clothes in the Bay Area and sells them at discounted prices.

Riley portrays the gang in a positive light in “I Love Boosters,” echoing the sentiment and title of a song he recorded 20 years ago with his hip-hop band, The Coup, where he praises boosters for providing poor communities with nice clothes they can afford: like a Robin Hood of the ’hood. But while morally righteous, materially, the gang is troubled. Corvette is haunted by unpaid bills and fears getting kicked out of the building where she squats, a shuttered fast-food chicken joint.

One thing that separates Riley’s film from most others about criminal gangs is that the Velvet Gang’s members work for a living. Theirs isn’t a greedy fantasy of becoming filthy rich, or for one last hit: Boosting is a job that still doesn’t pay nearly enough.

Visually, the film is a mix of psychedelia, afro-surrealism, noir, and perhaps a comic book.

The villain, Christie Smith, played by Demi Moore, an evil genius billionaire and fashion designer who runs the expensive clothing company the gang boosts from. She repeatedly appears on the news to put a target on the Velvet Gang members’ backs. When the gang ends up connecting with those who Christie directly exploits –workers here in the Bay Area, but also those in sweatshops overseas– the fight against Christie can commence; and uncoincidentally, Corvette starts to feel less lonely.

I don’t want to say much about that fight, but it’s delightful. Sci-Fi elements (which appear connected to Marxist theory) enter into the narrative to tie what’s become a pretty scatterbrained story together. Grounded by Palmer’s acting, “I Love Boosters” is a total joy and a refreshing break from the typical narratives we see these days. It’s totally over-the-top, but it knows it is.

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Art

After 10-Year Wait, Fillmore Heritage Center Reopens in San Francisco

After serving as the economic and cultural hub of the Fillmore’s historically Black community for more than a decade, the center’s closure ended what was called the “Rebirth of the Cool,” referring to the neighborhood’s role during the height of Black Jazz in the United States.

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4 hours ago

June 10, 2026

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Rev. Amos Brown of Third Baptist Church addresses community members at the Fillmore Heritage Center ribbon cutting. Photo by Linda Parker Pennington.

By Linda Parker Pennington, Special to The Post

Last Saturday morning, the cloudy skies cleared just as the highly anticipated ribbon-cutting ceremony began, marking the reopening of the Fillmore Heritage Center at 1330 Fillmore and Eddy.

The complex – which had once included Yoshi’s Jazz Club, the Lush Life Art Gallery, the Koret Heritage Lobby, a 54-seat microcinema, and the Black-owned 1300 On Fillmore restaurant – shuttered in 2015.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announcing the reopening of the Fillmore Heritage Center. Erika Scott, owner of Honey Art Studio, looks on with pride. Photo by Linda Parker Pennington.

“The Fillmore is the most important neighborhood in San Francisco’s history for centering Black culture, music, business, and community, and has shaped this City and influenced the entire country,” said San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie to the gathering of more than 100 community leaders, business owners, and public officials. “This building reflects the deep roots of the Fillmore. Urban renewal left deep scars that are still felt today. This Center celebrates a strong Black community that continues to shape San Francisco. I am proud to join the community as we reopen the Fillmore Heritage Center.”

Although the previous stakeholders will not be returning to the center, spaces are available for nonprofit organizations and ventures, such as Fillmore native Ericka Johnson’s Honey Art Studio.

“This Center will be an economic engine and a thriving venue that shines a light on the Black-owned businesses in this neighborhood and lifts the entire district,” Lurie continued. “Our City is committed to this community for the long term.”

“We’re excited to collaborate with the City to finally reopen these doors,” said Ken Johnson, a videographer and community leader who’d been lobbying for the reopening of the center. “It’s an opportunity to showcase the entrepreneurship and creative spirit of this ‘Harlem of the West’ and the ‘Rebirth of the Cool,’ grounded in our uniquely gifted Fillmore community.”

This month, through its Office of Economic and Workforce Development, the city will begin renting the building’s noncommercial spaces for pop-up events celebrating local talent, arts, and entertainment primarily centered in the Fillmore.

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Arts and Culture

COMMENTARY: Black Music is the Sound of Black Freedom: Let Us Reclaim Both This Juneteenth

Black Music Month started when Black Music Association members Ed Wright, Kenny Gamble and his wife, journalist and radio host Dyanna Williams were able to persuade President Jimmy Carter to establish the observation on June 7, 1979.

Published

1 day ago

June 9, 2026

Oakland Post

Robert Johnson (1911-1938) is thought of as the godfather of blues music, especially Delta blues. The 29 songs recorded by him during his short life have been of massive inspiration to guitarists and musicians over the last 80 years. Public domain photo.

By Wanda Ravernell

Black Music Month and Juneteenth are inextricably linked – Black music is the sound of our freedom.

From the plaintive moans of the enslaved Africans’ ‘sorrow songs,’ to the fields of Civil War battle where Black soldiers picked up abandoned bugles, to the upright piano played in juke joints on Saturday night and churches come Sunday morning, our ancestors’ innovation in the face of want, fear, degradation, and hopelessness has yielded genres of music imitated ’round the world.

In 2000, Congress made it official. In 2009, Pres. Barack Obama changed the name to African American Music Heritage Month and in 2023, Pres. Joe Biden changed it back to Black Music Month, two years after he declared Juneteenth a national holiday, the result of a movement led by Opal Lee.

Our ancestors battle for freedom over these last 400 years and the music that allowed them expression of their humanity deserved to be honored.

But we may be losing sight of the value of their sacrifices.

‘Sing a Song Full of the Faith That the Dark past Has Taught Us…’

Along with the long-known exploitation of Black musicians whose recordings were stolen by record companies, the commercialization of Juneteenth feels like another kind of theft.

I had never heard of Juneteenth until I moved to the Bay Area from my hometown of Philadelphia. I didn’t know it was one of many freedom festivals celebrated by descendants of enslaved people in the United States.

Emancipation Day was Jan. 1 in Pennsylvania, April 16 in Wash., D.C., May 20 in Florida, and Aug. 8 in Kentucky. But Juneteenth, June 19, has the most renown, known in Texas as the ‘colored peoples’ Fourth of July.’

It was marked by parades, beauty pageants, rodeos, backyard barbecues and church picnics.

Yes, church.

The formerly enslaved began the day praying in thanks for their freedom just as they had prayed for Jubilee – the day of freedom – when they had chains on their feet and hands. They ‘testified’ about their past suffering and how they had managed to overcome.

And they sang.

Although, we will not hold it this year, Omnira Institute’s Juneteenth Ritual of Remembrance recalled this part of Juneteenth with prayers in the languages of the African captives. In the middle of the ceremony, a soloist would lead us in singing “Many Thousand Gone” while we took turns reciting portions of the Emancipation Proclamation, the news of freedom that took more than two years to reach Texas – two months after the Civil War ended.

“Many Thousand Gone” was famously recorded by Black luminary Paul Robeson in 1947:

“No more auction block for me,

No more, no more

No more auction black for me

Many thousand gone.”

Other verses refer to the ‘pint of salt’ and the ‘driver’s lash,’ the realities of enslavement that they had survived.

‘Sing a Song Full of the Hope That the Present has Brought Us’

All of the genres of African American music have at their root songs like that, the essence being, as Stevie Wonder, wrote, “the joy inside our pain.” So Black music is not just music. It is our story, our history, our very strength.

During the Civil Rights Movement, which peaked 100 years after slavery ended, the people testified that it was the freedom songs – based on spirituals – that gave them the heart to march, face attack dogs, fire hoses, beatings, and shootouts with vigilantes.

The music reminded them that power was in the people. That music, our music, can do so again. We don’t have to accept the commodification of the products of our culture.

The power of those songs is showing a resurgence across the South as we battle again for the right to self-determination through the ballot box.

Those songs are the voices of our ancestors, voices forged in their blood, their sweat, their tears, joy and, above all, faith. Those songs, those prayers live in our blood and our very breath.

This Juneteenth, let us reclaim those holy voices expressed in Black music for ourselves. It is our birthright. It can neither be bought nor sold. No more. Never again.

Wanda Ravernell is the executive director of Omnira Institute, sponsor for 18 years of the Juneteenth Ritual of Remembrance and Oakland’s 11^th Annual Black-Eyed Pea Festival, which will take place on Sept. 12.