Hello Fellow Oaklanders,

All of us who see and feel the human suffering of homelessness on our streets know that it is unacceptable, and particularly in a region as wealthy as ours. We need to work together to address this crisis and ultimately end it.

On Thursday at 6 p.m., please join us in a discussion on the City’s response to homelessness, get your questions answered, and learn about a new citywide policy proposal to address encampments, and improve the health and safety for all residents. You’ll hear from:

  • Loren Taylor, Councilmember District 6, author of the proposal who will discuss the community work and events that led to the need for a citywide encampment policy

  • Daryel Dunston, Homeless Administrator City of Oakland, to explain the details of the proposal, the challenges it aims to address, and the goals it aims to achieve

  
As always, we will answer your pre-submitted questions (click here to submit) and answer your live questions too.

Our Oakland Town Halls can be viewed on my social media channels Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube (with closed captioning).
To dial in by phone: (669) 900-6833, 413825986#

Residents can also sign up for my newsletter by clicking here.
We hope to see you on Thursday at 6 p.m.
Thank you to all who volunteered and helped host the mass testing event in the Fruitvale District this weekend.

Until there’s a vaccine, one of our community’s best defenses against spreading COVID is frequent testing, so please find a location near you by clicking this link. 
Our artists make Oakland, Oakland. This week we announced some exciting new grants for individual artists and non-profits, as well as small business owners and renters and homeowners.

We also announced $20 million from the state through Gov. Newsom’s innovative Operation Homekey, which will allow us to purchase existing facilities right now — including Clifton Hall in the Rockridge — to create permanently affordable housing for our unsheltered residents; many of these new homes are located in neighborhoods of opportunity.   

Here’s more resources to share with fellow Oaklanders. All of these opportunities have fast-approaching deadlines, so please share with friends who may be interested:

  • $1.4 million for individual artists and non-profits, click here
  • $4 million for small business owners here
  • $5 million for renters and homeowners click here
  • More grants for Oakland non-profits found here

Be well,
Libby