Community

Where Can Oakland’s Homeless Park Their Vehicles?

Published

5 years ago

October 11, 2019

Lifelong Oakland residents Andre Franklin (left) and Gary Watson (right), a veteran, are among those who wonder where they can safely park the vehicles they live in.

Many Oakland residents who live in vehicles wonder where they can feel safe as city run and sponsored safe parking sites have been inaccessible to them.

“This is a crisis,” said Councilmember Nikki Fortunado Bas during a city council meeting on Oct 1. “The largest growth of [Oakland’s] unhoused residents is people living in their cars and RVs.”

Bas then cited an official count of 1,558 Oakland residents who live in vehicles.

In reports written from Oct 15 to 25 2018, the City Administration of Oakland laid plans to use federal funds to provide up to 200 safe parking spots for unhoused Oakland residents who live in vehicles. After about a year around 50 vehicles are using the programs. The reports proposed four city run sites of which two are currently open and five city sponsored sites in church parking lots, of which two are also currently open.

“People living in RVs often fear their vehicles will be towed due to expired registration or unpaid parking tickets,” wrote assistant city administrator Joe DeVries in a report regarding homeless services. “If an RV is towed, the cost to retrieve it is so prohibitive that it often means the person ends up living on the street.”

But the city of Oakland is still towing unhoused peoples’ vehicles as five of the nine proposed safe parking sites remain unopened. During recent evictions the city towed lifelong Oakland residents Anthony Thompkins’ and Dre Nash’s vehicles which had served as their homes.

At Oakland’s city council meeting on Oct 1, council president Rebecca Kaplan and Councilmember Bas sponsored an emergency ordinance that declared a shelter crisis which allows the city more flexibility in how it can use public space to house its residents. The ordinance renewed a previous shelter crisis declaration but also included a new paragraph that would have required the city to open parking sites for inoperable vehicles and to use city funds to tow and repair these vehicles at the sites.

“Until such designated allowable parking is identified” the paragraph reads, “the city shall refrain from towing such vehicles.”

The additional paragraph within the emergency ordinance would have made the city unable to tow homeless people’s vehicles to impound lots but was removed before the final vote which, as an emergency ordinance, required all six attending city council members’ approval.

“We’re striking that one paragraph regarding towing,” said Council President Kaplan at the Oct 1 meeting, “until further discussions can happen about that and the towing policy can come back as a separate item.”

Councilmember Larry Reid voiced skepticism at the meeting while addressing Kaplan about the services for RVs.

“The more and more service you provide,” said Reid, “the more and more people from outside of Oakland are going to come and inundate the streets with these raggedy RVs.”

The additional services could be helpful for Andre Franklin and Gary Watson, lifelong Oakland residents who live in vans by Lake Merritt. Franklin claims he was stunned on Oct 5 when an Oakland Police officer told him that he planned to tow Franklin’s vehicle that he allows Watson to live in for not being properly registered. After the officer called a tow truck a local resident, Angela Shannon, who was passing by at the time of the incident, parked her vehicle between the tow truck and Franklin’s van, making it impossible to reach, and proposed alternative options to the officer.

When an additional officer showed up, he suggested calling a number for Pastor Ken Chambers, who helps organize safe parking sites in church parking lots through the city sponsored program run by the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC), to ask if Watson could move there with the van. But the move was impossible because the van was inoperable and even if it wasn’t, the program requires that residents move their vehicles every morning at 7am. Watson has disabilities that make driving impossible. The officers decided not to tow the vehicle.

Although the City of Oakland’s and ICAC planned to offer 50 safe parking spots only 18 people are currently registered with the program. Chambers is seeking more people who need shelter. While the site rules including no alcohol, drugs, cooking or pets dissuade some people, Chambers thinks others don’t yet know about the site.

“We’ve been doing outreach with a shoestring budget,” said Chambers, “but we have to do that because if you build a program they will come but first they have to know about it.”

Residents interested in the program can visit interfaithac.org/safecarpark to register for the program which allows parking from 7pm to 7am everyday. People can also show up to West Side Missionary Church at 732 Willow Street in West Oakland any day at 7pm to register in person.

Zack Haber

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California Black Media

Elections 2024: Sec. of State Weber Explains Results, Ballot Counting Process

Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber hosted a webinar on Nov. 14 to update Californians on the ballot counting process for the 2024 General Election. California is home to the largest voting base in the nation with 22.5 million registered voters. According to the Secretary of State Office (SOS), about 70% of the state’s voters participated in the November Election. So far, 15.2 million votes have been counted, processed and verified. There are still roughly 0.8 million votes to go through the process.

Published

1 hour ago

November 25, 2024

Oakland Post

Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. File Photo.

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber hosted a webinar on Nov. 14 to update Californians on the ballot counting process for the 2024 General Election.

California is home to the largest voting base in the nation with 22.5 million registered voters. According to the Secretary of State Office (SOS), about 70% of the state’s voters participated in the November Election. So far, 15.2 million votes have been counted, processed and verified. There are still roughly 0.8 million votes to go through the process.

Because California allows voters more time and opportunities to vote than most states, it typically takes longer to finalize the results.

Historically, it has taken the state the longest to finalize election results. Almost half of the uncalled house races this year come from California. As of Nov 14, the closest race is in the 45^thCongressional District House race between Michelle Steel and Derek Tran. The two candidates are only separated by 58 votes with 93% of all votes counted.

“California basically makes sure that every vote counts,” said Weber. “We will receive our first actual count from all of the 58 counties on Dec. 6. After that, we have at least one week, which is until Dec. 13, when we will actually certify the state results. Then that becomes the official results for the election.”

If a recount is triggered in the 45^th district, official results may take longer than the expected deadline.

The part of the ballot counting process that tends to prolong the official results involves verifying signatures and making sure individuals who obtained provisional ballots the day of the election are all eligible to vote, Weber said.

The SOS goes as far as finding individuals who neglected to sign their ballots so they can complete the process.

“The reason we do this is we respect every vote that comes in. California’s election process is designed with a core commitment to recognizing and basically accurately counting each and every eligible vote that comes into our office,” added Weber. “This approach involves a series of rigorous checks and safeguards, including Signature verification machine audits and manual accounts.”

While technology has helped expedite the counting process in some areas, as the voter base continues to grow in the state, additional manual support is needed. For example, vote my mail ballots have to be opened and counted by hand. By Oct. 18, 1.5 million vote-by-mail ballots were already submitted.

Voting over the internet is prohibited by California Law. This eliminates all possibilities of cyber tampering or electronic voter fraud.

The SOS office also does a hand count of one percent of all ballots before Dec. 13. This is done to verify the fact there is a correlation between the hand counts and what the machines are counting.

“Some people ask the question: ‘Why do we have to be so accurate?’

We do our best to make sure that every Californian who is registered legally registered to vote will have their vote counted,” Weber emphasized.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Community

El Sobrante Library to Celebrate 5 Years Since Rising from Ashes

After being ravaged by a fire in 2018, the El Sobrante Library rose from the ashes and reopened to the public the following year on Sept. 19, 2019. In honor of that milestone, library officials will host the “Fifth Birthday” of the remodeled space from 1-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23.

Published

1 hour ago

November 25, 2024

Oakland Post

El Sobrante Library. Photo courtesy of Contra Costa County Libraries.

The Richmond Standard

After being ravaged by a fire in 2018, the El Sobrante Library rose from the ashes and reopened to the public the following year on Sept. 19, 2019.

In honor of that milestone, library officials will host the “Fifth Birthday” of the remodeled space from 1-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23.

The party will include crafts and activities for all ages, face-painting, commemorative button-making, a local author book display and fun and creative photo opportunities. It will culminate at 2:30 p.m. with a lion dance and kung fu performance.

“We’re throwing a party to celebrate this milestone with entertainment and activities for all ages,” library officials said.

After the 2018 fire, the library building was “stripped down to the studs and rebuilt with accessible features, a modern design, and a whole new feeling,” they said.

Oakland Post

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Activism

OCCUR Hosts “Faith Forward” Conference in Oakland

The conference featured Congresswoman-elect Lateefah Simon, who will begin her term representing California’s 12th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives in January.
Simon was honored with a special recognition from OCCUR for her civic and nonprofit leadership.

Published

18 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Oakland Post

President and CEO of OCCUR addresses the audience at OCCUR Faith Forward 2024 Conference at Resurrection Church. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Oakland Citizens Committee for Urban Renewal (OCCUR) hosted its Faith Forward 2024 Conference on Nov. 8 at Resurrection Church in Oakland.

The conference featured Congresswoman-elect Lateefah Simon, who will begin her term representing California’s 12^th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives in January.

Simon was honored with a special recognition from OCCUR for her civic and nonprofit leadership. During her remarks, She commended nonprofits making a difference, and shared how she looked forward to representing Oakland and surrounding areas.

Simon also encouraged attendees to continue fighting despite their concerns about the presidential election results. She also cautioned that there may be resources that are discontinued as a result.

“We know the assignment. We have many of the resources right within our own community, and we will be ok,” Simon assured the audience.

The conference led by OCCUR president, Dr. David B. Franklin, also featured panels on funding opportunities, case studies, economic development, sustainable housing solutions, and organizing for action.

“In order for organizations serving the community to thrive, everyone must collaborate, share resources, and not operate in silos,” said Franklin.

Speakers included San Francisco Foundation CEO, Fred Blackwell, San Francisco Foundation FAITHS Program Director Dr. Michelle Chambers, and Kingmakers of Oakland Founder, Chris Chatmon. Guests were briefed on how Kingmakers of Oakland has gone from a budget of zero to several million and is set to acquire 200 acres of property to expand their programs serving young boys. The leadership at the San Francisco Foundation encouraged nonprofits, churches, and community leaders to work together, especially when donations and funding numbers are lower.

Ben Bartlett of Berkeley City Council; Trevor Parham, CEO of Oakstop; and CEO of the Lao Family Community Development, Inc., Kathy Chao Rothberg, inspired attendees with stories about their journeys in the nonprofit sector.

Additional speakers included Deka Dike, CEO of Omatachi; Landis Green, CEO of DGS Strategies; Sasha Werblin, Director of Economic Development, LISC Bay Area; Oakland City Councilmember Treva Reid; Faith and Justice Organizer of East Bay Housing Organizations, Ronnie Boyd; and Todd Bendon, Executive Director of Faith in Action East Bay; among others.

The event allowed community leaders, faith-based leaders, and nonprofits to gain Insight on how to strengthen their profits financially, and communally.

OCCUR has served the community for over 70 years supporting the wellbeing of historically marginalized communities with collaborative strategies. For more information visit occurnow.org