City Government

Anti-Displacement Activists Shut Down Mayor’s Economic Development Summit

Published

9 years ago

March 18, 2016

Over 100 local residents barricaded the entrances to the Oakland Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Summit on Friday morning, March 18, demanding an end to development-driven displacement and that the city declare a housing state of emergency.

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Protestors chained themselves across the entrances to the Kaiser Center Auditorium at Lake Merritt and business representatives, who had paid $95 a ticket, were unable to enter the main hall.

As a result of the action, the summit never took place. There were no arrests.

This action follows on the heels of the City Council’s decision on Tuesday to approve a luxury development on the publicly-owned East 12^th St. parcel, ignoring a year of protests calling for 100 percent affordable housing on the site.

During Friday’s rally, Oakland residents expressed their anger at city officials who are choosing developers over communities while doing nothing to halt runaway rents and wholesale evictions that are driving working families out of the city.

Several of the protestors carried signs that read: “Our housing crisis is not your profit opportunity. Eviction moratorium now!” referring to the demand that the City Council declare a housing state of emergency.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf was scheduled to give the opening remarks while a major speech on real estate opportunities in Oakland was supposed to be given by an investment economist from the commercial real estate industry.

The economic development summit was being organized around the theme “Why Businesses Are Going “All In” on Oakland.”

“How can they have a local economic development summit and (working families) are not invited?” asked activist Nicole Dean. “What do we do when they charge $95 a ticket just to sit at the table?”

Carroll Fife of the Black Power Network explained how she had been evicted from her home in West Oakland after complaining to her landlord about there being no heat during the winter.

According to several protestors, the displacement of local residents is interconnected to the lack of job opportunities and trainings.

The city’s Workforce Investment Board—which oversees all of Oakland’s jobs programs—is being dismantled by Mayor Schaaf, said one activist.

The mayor’s office released a statement after the protest.

“Mayor Schaaf is acutely aware of the very real pain and the fear residents have about displacement as rents in Oakland soar and housing availability fails to keep pace with growing demand,” according to the statement. “She remains open to having a productive dialogue with advocates about how to address the problem.”

Barbara Leslie, president and CEO of the chamber, also released a statement.

“Attendees were unable to hear about the work that the Chamber and business community are doing to ensure that our residents are prepared for college and careers right here,” Leslie said. “While the protesters chose to deny participants the opportunity to learn about some of the great work being done, the chamber and its partners in the public and private sector will continue their efforts to build a thriving Oakland.”

The Oakland Coalition, Black Power Network, Community Ready Corps, Anti Police-Terror Project and Seconds Acts were among the organizers of Friday’s protest.

The City Council is scheduled to vote on declaring a housing state of emergency at its April 5 meeting.

This article was updated on March 19, 2016.

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Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

Published

3 days ago

May 25, 2025

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IN MEMORIAM: Nate Holden, State Senator and Longtime Los Angeles Councilmember, Dies at 95

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn described Holden as “a lion” in the State Senate and a force to be reckoned with on the Los Angeles City Council.” Hahn added that she learned a lot working with Holden when she was a new councilmember.

Published

1 week ago

May 19, 2025

Oakland Post

Former Los Angeles Councilmember and California State Sen. Nate Holden. File photo.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Former Los Angeles City Councilmember Nathaniel “Nate” Holden, a prominent figure in the city’s politics, passed away at the age of 95, his family confirmed on May 7.

Holden, who represented South Los Angeles for 16 years on the City Council and served one term in the California State Senate, was widely regarded as a forceful advocate for his community.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn described Holden as “a lion” in the State Senate and a force to be reckoned with on the Los Angeles City Council.”

Hahn added that she learned a lot working with Holden when she was a new councilmember.

Holden’s journey to political prominence began in the segregated South, where he was born in Macon, Georgia, in 1929. He often recalled the childhood moment when he first heard the governor of Georgia vowing to continue suppressing Black people.

“Doing the best you can for the people. Law and order. Make sure that people’s communities are safe. I did it all,” said Holden, reflecting on his legacy.

Holden is survived by his sons, including former California Assemblymember Chris Holden, who represented a district in Southern California that includes Pasadena and Altadena in Los Angeles County and cities in San Bernardino County.

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Oakland Hosts Town Hall Addressing Lead Hazards in City Housing

According to the city, there are 22,000 households in need of services for lead issues, most in predominantly low-income or Black and Latino neighborhoods, but only 550 to 600 homes are addressed every year. The city is hoping to use part of the multimillion-dollar settlement to increase the number of households served each year.

Published

1 week ago

May 18, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Magaly Muñoz

The City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department hosted a town hall in the Fruitvale to discuss the efforts being undertaken to remove lead primarily found in housing in East and West Oakland.

In 2021, the city was awarded $14 million out of a $24 million legal settlement from a lawsuit against paint distributors for selling lead-based paint that has affected hundreds of families in Oakland and Alameda County. The funding is intended to be used for lead poisoning reduction and prevention services in paint only, not water or other sources as has been found recently in schools across the city.

The settlement can be used for developing or enhancing programs that abate lead-based paint, providing services to individuals, particularly exposed children, educating the public about hazards caused by lead paint, and covering attorney’s fees incurred in pursuing litigation.

Most of the homes affected were built prior to 1978, and 12,000 of these homes are considered to be at high risk for lead poisoning.

City councilmember Noel Gallo, who represents a few of the lead-affected Census tracts, said the majority of the poisoned kids and families are coming directly from neighborhoods like the Fruitvale.

“When you look at the [kids being admitted] at the children’s hospital, they’re coming from this community,” Gallo said at the town hall.

In order to eventually rid the highest impacted homes of lead poisoning, the city intends to create programs and activities such as lead-based paint inspections and assessments, full abatement designed to permanently eliminate lead-based paint, or partial abatement for repairs, painting, and specialized cleaning meant for temporary reduction of hazards.

In feedback for what the city could implement in their programming, residents in attendance of the event said they want more accessibility to resources, like blood testing, and information from officials about lead poisoning symptoms, hotlines for assistance, and updates on the reduction of lead in their communities.

Attendees also asked how they’d know where they are on the prioritization list and what would be done to address lead in the water found at several school sites in Oakland last year.

City staff said there will be a follow-up event to gather more community input for programming in August, with finalizations happening in the fall and a pilot launch in early 2026.