Encampment Murdering Policies

Council member Ken Houston proposes a life-endangering anti-houseless policy against Black, Brown, Disabled, Poor, and Elder Residents of Oakland 

For Immediate release: 

contact: tiny 510-435-7500, 

Jo​hn Jan​osko/ (510) 712-7639 Wood Street Commons or 

James Burch, Black Solutions Lab 

What: Press Conference of houseless, formerly houseless sweeps survivors, housed allies, and advocates to demand NO to the murderous “EAT”  policy and lift up actual solutions to homelessness 

When: 9 am Monday, Sept 15

Where: Oakland City Hall  

“The City wants houseless people to die,” said John, a houseless resident of Sycamore Street, and lifelong resident of Oakland who lost his home due to foreclosure in 2008 when he became houseless. John went on to explain that Sycamore Street was a houseless comeUnity that was swept over seven times, only to be swept again and that in the last very violent sweep on July 28th,  one of their long-time comeUnity leaders, Charlotte, passed away. “We have nowhere to go, where are they sweeping us to? He concluded.

Under Council member Ken Houston’s proposed policy,  Oakland police can arrest houseless people just for being houseless. The city’s existing policy says Oakland “will not cite or arrest any individual solely for camping, or otherwise for the status of being homeless,” but the proposal slashes that provision. 

The daily violence of sweeping houseless humans like they are trash,  that longtime Oakland residents have already been facing since the Grants Pass Vs Johnson ruling by the Supreme Court in 202  has resulted in several deaths of houseless people, who lose their shelter and their support systems and end up back on the street. 

Most of the houseless residents of Oakland are Black elders with chronic health conditions. Studies have shown that sweeps lead to higher rates of death, and sweeping this community without offering residents any of the accommodations provided in its grant proposal, it effectively set out to eliminate 80% of all Black residents from the project. This is according to the city's own data.

This deeply violent policy by Houston, aptly named by the acronym EAT, as it will in fact EAT houseless people alive, will result in more deaths of houseless, Black, Disabled elders in Oakland 

The only modicum of humanity that has existed up to now is that the City had to offer houseless residents some alternative shelter to stay in (which oftentimes they didn't even do), but under Houston’s plan, Oakland can shut down encampments regardless of whether the city has other shelters to offer residents. 

In addition, the policy follows the lead of San Francisco and so many other cities' anti-houseless policies spurred on by the current federal administration  and promises to cite and tow the last vestige of home many people have on the street, their cars and RVs  

Councilmember Houston’s proposed legislation exposes the city to further liability under state and constitutional law. In the past, expending funds on costly sweeps has led to costly court challenges - a situation that Oakland cannot currently afford. 

The proposed legislation disproportionately targets Black and disabled Oakland residents, exposing the City to liability under the Fourteenth Amendment. 

• James Burch, Black Solutions Lab

“These violent sweeps of elder, Black, Disabled lifelong Oakland residents by the City of Oakland are shameful. Literally thousands of dollars are spent removing, displacing, and poLicing us. To nowhere. We houseless peoples have solutions, why is this still happening?” said tiny gray-garcia, formerly houseless, co-founder of POOR Magazine and Homefulness.  

Houseless/formerly houseless sweeps survivors, advocates, and allies will gather for a press conference on September 15th at 9 am preceding the hearing at Oakland City Hall to demand the City vote NO on this murderous proposal by Ken Houston and listen to houseless people about their own solutions. 

Please follow:

@poormagazine (Will Broadcast Press Conference LIVE on IG)

@woodstreetcommons

@oakland.homeless.union

@oakland.revealed 

@blacksolutionslab