Four residents of the encampment agreed Monday to relocate to a new cabin shelter program. Crews also towed a dozen inoperable vehicles from the site.
Several city agencies are involved in the encampment closure operation, which city officials said they expect to complete in two weeks. The Encampment Management Team, the Human Services Department, Oakland Public Works, the Vehicle Enforcement Unit, Animal Services, Environmental Services and other city departments started cleaning up the site Monday morning.
LaTonda Simmons, assistant city administrator and acting homelessness administrator said her teams are "working so hard to transition residents off the street and into shelter programs that enable them to eventually secure permanent housing.”
Simmons added that the city was able to obtain more than $8 million in state funds to build a new cabin shelter program for 100 people, as well as a safe RV parking site on 66th Avenue. She also said she hoped that construction would begin soon on the Wood Street site for a 170-unit affordable housing development – which has been delayed until the area is cleared.
Meanwhile, city-managed outreach teams are continuing to distribute information and engage with residents to offer a range of housing and shelter options, employment support and other services and programs.