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Oakland Opens Trailers For Homeless At Risk Of COVID-19

Thomas Hawk / Flickr Creative Commons

 

The city of Oakland has launched a new program to house over 130 homeless individuals.

Mayor Libby Schaaf announced at a press conference Tuesday morning that the city will provide nearly 70 trailers to unhoused residents.

The program will focus on housing those most at risk of COVID-19, including seniors and people with underlying health conditions.

Each trailer will house two people, at a site near the Oakland Arena. Priority will be given to those who already live in East Oakland.

Mayor Schaaf said there’s already an extensive waiting list. She acknowledged that this is a small step towards sheltering Oakland’s estimated 4,000 homeless residents.

“We recognize that giving respite to 130 people does not meet the need that is out there,” Mayor Schaaf said. “And we are continuing to do more every day. We are looking for ways to help our most vulnerable first, but this is a tremendous step forward.”

The trailers have water and sewage hookups. Residents will also be able to connect with social services to find permanent housing.

People will begin moving in Wednesday. And currently, there is no deadline for how long they can stay.

Ozzy Llinas Goodman is a freelance writer and journalist based in Berkeley. Their reporting interests include the uses and policing of public space, underground communities and solidarity economies, and other topics related to human movement, urban space, and civil rights.