City Government

After Miscommunication Over Plan, City Relocates Unhoused North Oakland Residents

Published

5 years ago

September 2, 2020

An unhoused Oakland resident drags her tent to a new location during a city-run relocation and cleanup at Manila Avenue in North Oakland on August 27. Photo by Zack Haber

On Aug. 27-28, The City of Oakland cleared five residents who were living in tents from Manila Avenue near Mosswood Park, but allowed them to move 300-400 feet north.

The City also conducted a deep cleaning on Manila Avenue between 38th and 40th streets, in an operation that directly affected about 15 unhoused people living in the area.

Prior to the day of the clearance, the City’s plans were still unclear to unhoused residents in the area and advocates.

The City began the relocation operation on August 21 by placing pink “notice to vacate an illegal encampment” flyers near the five residents and throughout the surrounding area where other unhoused residents, who later were not required to move, lived. Then, on August 24, the Oakland Police Dept. placed orange parking violation stickers on RVs and vehicles that serve as people’s homes in the area, instructing them to move their vehicles by Aug. 27 or face impoundment.

But just before 4:00 p.m. on Aug. 24, Oakland’s Homelessness Administrator Daryel Dunston sent an e-mail to City Council members, City administrators and members of Mayor Libby Schaaf’s media team, which set out plans that contradicted the original flyers and notices.

“I am writing to clear up any miscommunication regarding the encampment operation scheduled tomorrow at 38th & Manila,” reads the e-mail, which stated that the City “will be conducting a cleaning.”

“No one’s vehicle dwelling will be towed,” Dunston wrote and specified that only people living within a small “collapse zone” of a building set to be demolished would be relocated.

Five people living in tents and one person living in a vehicle lived in the collapse zone and the City forced them to move on Aug. 27. On the same day, the City did a deep cleaning of the east side of Manila Avenue, which required residents to temporarily move their belongings or have them discarded.

Until the day of the operation, neither the City nor OPD informed residents that the plans initially stated on the flyers or parking violation stickers would not be carried out.

One resident said he thought they had to leave and drove his vehicle around the corner a day before the operation. He described the move as easy but he also noted that his neighbor, whose vehicle did not run, arranged a tow to keep her home safe, an expense and an effort that ended up being unnecessary.

During the clean-up and relocation operation, some residents said they felt rushed and that the City did not give them adequate time to safely move their belongings. One resident lost a prescription for his dog. Another resident’s tent was damaged while she was relocating. A local grassroots organization, the North Oakland Restorative Justice Council, brought her a replacement tent the next day.

About 25 residents, most of whom were housed, showed up on August 27 to help residents with the move and clean-up, including some people from the neighborhood and others from East and West Oakland.

About a half dozen showed up on August 28, when the City did a smaller clean-up operation on the west side of Manila Avenue and no one was moved. One resident reported losing her living room on Friday after the city forced her to remove a tent from a seldom-used sidewalk. She now lives exclusively in her vehicle.

“I showed up to help people move their stuff and protect their rights because often times if they’re left alone, [the City], can steamroll people,” said Colleen Donovan, a 26-year-old Oakland resident and member of the United Front Against Displacement, a mutual aid and housing justice grassroots organization. “It helps when there’s pressure and [the City] realizes housed residents of Oakland are paying attention.”

Several police cars and officers were present who monitored but did not engage with any unhoused residents.

Residents questioned why the operation was scheduled while wildfires throughout California had caused smoke to blow into Oakland, at times making the air quality unhealthy.

“The air is trash,” Amber Rockwood, a housed neighbor in the area wrote on Twitter after seeing City workers posting flyers. “How are they really gonna evict some houseless people during all this.”

During the first day of the City operation, AirNow classified the air quality as “moderate,” but during the clean-up on the second day, AirNow classified the air quality as “unhealthy.” The City did not provide workers or unhoused people with N95 masks as they moved possessions and disposed of trash outside for several hours.

The Oakland Post has chosen not to name the unhoused residents in this area, many of whom have claimed that publicizing their unhoused status could make it difficult for them to receive housing or employment in the future.

Michelle Snider

Associate Editor for The Post News Group. Writer, Photographer, Videographer, Copy Editor, and website editor documenting local events in the Oakland-Bay Area California area.

Posts by Michelle Snider | Website

Up Next

Board of SuperMoms Rallies Outside Alameda County Headquarters to Demand ‘Homes Not Harm’

Don't Miss

Gov. and Lawmakers Cut Last-Minute Deal for Renters Before Evictions Resume Sept. 2

Michelle Snider

Associate Editor for The Post News Group. Writer, Photographer, Videographer, Copy Editor, and website editor documenting local events in the Oakland-Bay Area California area.

Click to comment

Alameda County

Oakland Council Expands Citywide Security Cameras Despite Major Opposition

In a 7-1 vote in favor of the contract, with only District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife voting no, the Council agreed to maintain its existing network of 291 cameras and add 40 new “pan-tilt-zoom cameras.”

Published

24 hours ago

December 21, 2025

Oakland Post

At the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference, Flock Safety introduces new public safety technology – Amplified Intelligence, a suite of AI-powered tools designed to improve law enforcement investigations. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland City Council this week approved a $2.25 million contract with Flock Safety for a mass surveillance network of hundreds of security cameras to track vehicles in the city.

In recent weeks hundreds of local residents have spoken against the camera system, raising concerns that data will be shared with immigration authorities and other federal agencies at a time when mass surveillance is growing across the country with little regard for individual rights.

The Flock network, supported by the Oakland Police Department, has the backing of residents and councilmembers who see it as an important tool to protect public safety.

“This system makes the Department more efficient as it allows for information related to disruptive/violent criminal activities to be captured … and allows for precise and focused enforcement,” OPD wrote in its proposal to City Council.

According to OPD, police made 232 arrests using data from Flock cameras between July 2024 and November of this year.

Based on the data, police say they recovered 68 guns, and utilizing the countywide system, they have found 1,100 stolen vehicles.

However, Flock’s cameras cast a wide net. The company’s cameras in Oakland last month captured license plate numbers and other information from about 1.4 million vehicles.

Speaking at Tuesday’s Council meeting, Fife was critical of her colleagues for signing a contract with a company that has been in the national spotlight for sharing data with federal agencies.

Flock’s cameras – which are automated license plate readers – have been used in tracking people who have had abortions, monitoring protesters, and aiding in deportation roundups.

“I don’t know how we get up and have several press conferences talking about how we are supportive of a sanctuary city status but then use a vendor that has been shown to have a direct relationship with (the U.S.) Border Control,” she said. “It doesn’t make sense to me.”

Several councilmembers who voted in favor of the contract said they supported the deal as long as some safeguards were written into the Council’s resolution.

“We’re not aiming for perfection,” said District 1 Councilmember Zac Unger. “This is not Orwellian facial recognition technology — that’s prohibited in Oakland. The road forward here is to add as many amendments as we can.”

Amendments passed by the Council prohibit OPD from sharing camera data with any other agencies for the purpose of “criminalizing reproductive or gender affirming healthcare” or for federal immigration enforcement. California state law also prohibits the sharing of license plate reader data with the federal government, and because Oakland’s sanctuary city status, OPD is not allowed to cooperate with immigration authorities.

A former member of Oakland’s Privacy Advisory Commission has sued OPD, alleging that it has violated its own rules around data sharing.

So far, OPD has shared Flock data with 50 other law enforcement agencies.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Black Arts Movement Business District Named New Cultural District in California

Located in the heart of District 3, the BAMBD is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most important centers of Black cultural production — a space where artists, entrepreneurs, organizers, and cultural workers have shaped generations of local and national identity. The state’s recognition affirms the district’s historic importance and its future promise.

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2025

Oakland Post

Councilmember Carroll Fife celebrates major milestone for Black arts, culture, and economic power in Oakland. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

Oakland’s Black Arts Movement Business District (BAMBD) has been selected as one of California’s 10 new state-designated Cultural Districts, a distinction awarded by the California Arts Council (CAC), according to a media statement released by Councilmember Carroll Fife.

The BAMBD now joins 23 other districts across the state recognized for their deep cultural legacy, artistic excellence, and contributions to California’s creative economy.

“This designation is a testament to what Black Oakland has built — and what we continue to build when we insist on investing in our own cultural and economic power,” said Fife.

“For years, our community has fought for meaningful recognition and resources for the Black Arts Movement Business District,” she said. “This announcement validates that work and ensures that BAMBD receives the support it needs to grow, thrive, and continue shaping the cultural fabric of California.”

Since taking office, Fife has led and supported multiple initiatives that strengthened the groundwork for this achievement, including:

Restoring and protecting arts and cultural staffing within the City of Oakland.
Creating the West Oakland Community Fund to reinvest in historically excluded communities
Advancing a Black New Deal study to expand economic opportunity for Black Oakland
Ensuring racial equity impact analyses for development proposals, improving access for Black businesses and Black contractors
Introduced legislation and budget amendments that formalized, protected, and expanded the BAMBD

“These efforts weren’t abstract,” Fife said. “They were intentional, coordinated, and rooted in a belief that Black arts and Black businesses deserve deep, sustained public investment.”

As part of the Cultural District designation, BAMBD will receive:

$10,000 over two years
Dedicated technical assistance
Statewide marketing and branding support
Official designation from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2030

This support will elevate the visibility of BAMBD’s artists, cultural organizations, small businesses, and legacy institutions, while helping attract new investment to the district.

“The BAMBD has always been more than a district,” Fife continued. “This recognition by the State of California gives us another tool in the fight to preserve Black culture, build Black economic power, and protect the families and institutions that make Oakland strong.”

For questions, contact Councilmember Carroll Fife at CFife@oaklandca.gov.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland School Board Grapples with Potential $100 Million Shortfall Next Year

The school board approved Superintendent Denise Saddler’s plan for major cuts to schools and the district office, but they are still trying to avoid outside pressure to close flatland schools.

Published

1 week ago

December 14, 2025

Oakland Post

OUSD Supt. Denise Saddler. File photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland Board of Education is continuing to grapple with a massive $100 million shortfall next year, which represents about 20% of the district’s general fund budget.

The school board approved Superintendent Denise Saddler’s plan for major cuts to schools and the district office, but they are still trying to avoid outside pressure to close flatland schools.

Without cuts, OUSD is under threat of being taken over by the state. The district only emerged from state receivership in July after 22 years.

“We want to make sure the cuts are away from the kids,” said Kampala Taiz-Rancifer, president of the Oakland Education Association, the teachers’ union. “There are too many things that are important and critical to instruction, to protecting our most vulnerable kids, to safety.”

The school district has been considering different scenarios for budget cuts proposed by the superintendent, including athletics, libraries, clubs, teacher programs, and school security.

The plan approved at Wednesday’s board meeting, which is not yet finalized, is estimated to save around $103 million.

Staff is now looking at decreasing central office staff and cutting extra-curricular budgets, such as for sports and library services. It will also review contracts for outside consultants, limiting classroom supplies and examine the possibility of school closures, which is a popular proposal among state and county officials and privatizers though after decades of Oakland school closures, has been shown to save little if any money.