The City of Oakland has agreed to give the owner of a property used as a homeless shelter during the COVID-19 shutdown a legal settlement of more than one-and-a-half million dollars.
The city leased the Lake Merritt Lodge in 2021, which it used as a shelter to house about 100 medically-vulnerable homeless residents. The nonprofit Housing Consortium of the East Bay ran the shelter.
The Oaklandside reports the shelter was closed two years ago amid conditions at the shelter and disagreements between the city, the nonprofit and the property owner, who provided meals and custodial services.
The website toured the property last year and found the former shelter in shambles.
Last year, the property owner, Vima Harrison 1 LLC, filed a three-million dollar suit against the city. The owner claimed the city had damaged the city and had not paid the final month of the lease.
The City Council authorized the settlement in a closed session last week, with all but one council member voting in support.
As part of the settlement, the city did not accept responsibility.
