Activism

House Our Unhoused Now

Answering the call of community organizers standing in solidarity with encampment residents, we showed up at Wood Street and 34th last Friday, Sep 9. Upon arrival, we learned that a tiny home being occupied by a resident had just been destroyed aggressively with heavy machinery. Not moved. Not stored. But demolished before the resident could move it or even grab their belongings.

Published

3 years ago

September 17, 2022

Oakland Post

Last week, the City of Oakland and the State of California began “evicting” more than 200 residents from their makeshift homes, RVs and tents from the area known as the Wood Street encampment.

By Gregory Hodge

Housing is a human right. In the wealthiest region in the wealthiest country, our shortcoming is obvious to anyone who has taken just one walk around the Town. The moral issue of our time is our failure as a society to provide housing decent enough for human beings, for all our neighbors.

The sad truth is that despite protests, lawsuits, and direct action, the key element for solving the housing crisis is still being largely ignored by our city and state authorities. As a mayoral candidate, I urge us all to listen to the needs and proposals of those most affected. They know the problem because they live it. They are the experts on their situation and it’s past time to listen.

Greg Hodge, a mayoral candidate, long time West Oakland resident and parent who lives near several homeless encampments want the city to provide “equity-based” solutions around Secty. Buttigieg’s and Gov. Newsom’s recent statements on displacements and homelessness.

As neighbors, leaders, and Oakland community members, we should do everything within our power to create real systems of care that mitigate many of the factors leading to homelessness.

First, we need to identify and house extremely low-income people. We must demand that our city, county, state and federal government provide housing and support to the most vulnerable: families, seniors, people with disabilities, and others surviving on fixed incomes. This includes voting in leaders who will prioritize people’s wellbeing over profit. We must partner with our non-profit agencies to provide access to services.

Instead of solutions that center those most impacted, we are seeing evictions that lack any real understanding of the desires of those who are being displaced yet again.

Collectively, we must support people experiencing homelessness by providing accessible and relevant prevention services like shelter, mental health care, hygiene services, safe parking, and jobs programs. As Mayor, I’d advocate for fully funding the Department of Violence Prevention to help ensure we are not just reacting to failed policy, but rather, creating holistic policies that address the root of the issues.

Last week, the City of Oakland and the State of California began “evicting” more than 200 residents from their makeshift homes, RVs and tents from the area known as the Wood Street encampment. For any of us who spent time at the encampment talking with residents, advocates and community problem solvers, it was clear that this eviction process was haphazard and inhumane.

The city and state claimed evictions were necessary based on health and safety concerns, citing the numerous dangerous fires disrupting residents and drivers on the freeways above the encampment. An order from a federal judge explicitly requires that city and state authorities set a reasonable plan for storing the property. What help is a federal order if it is not enforced?

Residents were required to move their belongings or store them until a more permanent solution could be provided. We witnessed an amazing moment where supporters like a volunteer known as “Boots” helped find a way to move resident belongings with a U-Haul truck while identifying possible storage facilities. It was one of many beautiful and compassionate acts that will continue to be repeated as long as evictions are taking place.

As many in the social justice movement will repeat time and time again — nothing for us, without us.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

3 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

1 week ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.