December 16, 2021
Dear Friend,

On Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci said "there is no need for a very specific booster" to fight the Omicron COVID variant, and that booster doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines offer substantial protection against the variant. Schedule your booster shot now through MyTurn CA, Alameda County Public Health, Safeway or Walgreens. While you're at it, get a flu shot, which is safe to receive at the same time as a COVID shot.

Welcome to the Mayor’s Weekly Briefing, your weekly Oakland news roundup. Please forward this to a friend. They may subscribe here.

Oakland Love,
—Libby
MAYOR LIBBY SCHAAF
New Incentives For Landlords to House Oaklanders
On Monday, we unveiled new cash incentives for Oakland landlords and property owners to open their doors to residents with housing vouchers. Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration's "American Rescue Plan," and fierce local advocacy, Oakland received 515 vouchers for residents seeking housing right now. This is a call to action for those who want to be part of a national effort to end the housing crisis. You can learn more here.
Public Safety Update: Letter To Governor Newsom
On Tuesday, I sent a letter to Governor Newsom asking for increased state assistance to combat dangerous violent crime. I'm calling on the Governor to consider providing aid to Oakland in the form of real-time intelligence gathering, including vehicle license plate readers on state highways, increased CHP presence and traffic enforcement along Oakland's state highways, and increasing Oakland's participation in CHP's Retail Theft Task Force.

My request follows last week's City Council vote to approve my proposal to unfreeze police positions and hire up to 60 additional officers, while maintaining our historic investments in violence prevention and intervention including MACRO, our non-police response program.

Adequate police staffing and violence prevention are necessary for a safer Oakland. We must do both, and I am pleased to see our city's leadership come together to support a comprehensive and holistic approach to public safety. If you'd like to learn more, watch my KRON interview on the state of policing and public safety in our city here.
From Homeless to Housed: A Story Of Hope In Oakland
On Saturday, the Chronicle published a story about Delbra Taylor, a lifelong Oakland resident who experienced homelessness for six years before finding housing through a housing voucher. With funding from the federal initiative House America, Oakland pledged in September to re-house 1,500 Oaklanders in 16 months. Delbra is one Oaklander who has benefitted from this program, finding an apartment in East Oakland close to the church that she has attended for almost 60 years.

Delbra's story is one of resilience and of hope, but we have so much more work to do. Our city and state government are working together with urgency, and we are thankful to now have a White House and federal government that has shown up with real leadership and bold investments to help us end the homelessness crisis.

Internship Applications Open for Spring 2022!
Our office is now accepting applications for the Spring 2022 Mayor's Internship Program. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about local government, public policy, community engagement and more, while serving the Oakland community. If you know a young person who may be interested in this internship program, please pass this information along!
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Potato harvest! These potatoes were harvest by preschoolers at Oakland's International Child Development Center. A huge shoutout to the University of California's CalFresh Healthy Living Nutrition Education program for prioritizing nutrition and education for Oakland kids.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Still from video by Eat. Learn. Play.
History. A proud moment for the Bay Area on Tuesday night, when Stephen Curry broke the all-time three point record at Madison Square Garden. We Oaklanders know that Steph is a champion off the court, too. The Currys' Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation pledged $1 million dollars to fund literacy supplies for Oakland public school teachers. Teachers, get those requests in to DonorsChoose.org! Oakland loves and appreciates you, Steph!
COMMUNITY LINKS TO USE AND SHARE
  • A big thank you to everyone who donated to our Community Toy Drive! We were able to provide gifts to 9000 families in a safe, socially-distanced way.

  • Enrollment for the 2022-23 OUSD school year is open now until February 4, 2022

  • Oakland residents can come by the Bulky Block Party this Saturday, December 18 at 7101 Edgewater Dr. from 9am-1pm and drop off large items at no charge.

  • Check out "This Week in Oakland," a weekly roundup of local arts and cultural events from the Oaklandside's Azucena Rasilla.

  • Looking for holiday gifts? Use Think Oakland First to shop local, find unique gifts, and support small businesses.

  • Oakland Unified School District is hiring for a variety of roles! Find out more at the OUSD Jobs Portal.

  • AC Transit is hiring bus operators. Jobs start at $22.11/hour after paid training. Learn more about further opportunities here.


  • REMINDER: Despite the federal moratorium ending on 9/30, Oakland's eviction moratorium remains in place. Find rental resources here.

  • Access a digital copy of your COVID-19 vaccine record here.