Thank you Sean and Oakland Report for this discussion and important article. You point out some from critical ironies and facts. To solve the homeless problem requires a top down approach to Oakland. This includes stopping programs that are ineffective or grifts, which is why we need a full outside audit of the city. We need to set up treatment and mental health facilities, we need to create productive jobs, business, manufacturing to train the homeless who are able to work and create a real revenue base for the city. Mayor Bla, Bla Lee and the Oakland City Council proposals to continue to throw more money and taxes will never work. I as Mayor of Oakland will get at the source of the problems and bring real solutions as I indicated. It is time to love our fellow Oaklanders, which I do. Mindy Pechenuk, candidate for Oakland Mayor 2026. Electmindy.com
Mindy - Thank you for your comment. According to the city’s plan, Oakland’s homeless population is growing by 1,000 people per year.
Alameda County’s homeless population decreased 3%. Oakland’s went up 9%.
The city estimates that the cost of its 50% homelessness reduction goal is $1.06 billion.
The city further states that “if homelessness prevention is not adequately scaled,” $202.3 million more would be needed per year – an additional $1.01 billion over five years, just to reach the 50% reduction target.
The city says that it would need to spend a total of $3.2 billion to eliminate homelessness in ten years.
Given the significant gap between the total cost and the actual resources available, the result is a goal that the current budget cannot meet.
The number of homeless dropped in the rest of Alameda County because places like Hayward and Fremont took a hard line on the problem and, as predicted, they moved to Oakland. As other cities and towns throughout the Bay Area and beyond crack down on the homeless, this will continue to happen until Oakland wakes up and takes the hard line and puts treatment first. Cut-off all the nonreporting, unsuccessful NGOs/non-profits that eat up the budget and are making money off the homeless and partner with someone like Salvation Army that has a record of success and accountability. Not doing anything or putting housing first for a lot of the homeless (i.e. drug addicts and the mentally ill)is just cruel.
Thank you Sean and Oakland Report for this discussion and important article. You point out some from critical ironies and facts. To solve the homeless problem requires a top down approach to Oakland. This includes stopping programs that are ineffective or grifts, which is why we need a full outside audit of the city. We need to set up treatment and mental health facilities, we need to create productive jobs, business, manufacturing to train the homeless who are able to work and create a real revenue base for the city. Mayor Bla, Bla Lee and the Oakland City Council proposals to continue to throw more money and taxes will never work. I as Mayor of Oakland will get at the source of the problems and bring real solutions as I indicated. It is time to love our fellow Oaklanders, which I do. Mindy Pechenuk, candidate for Oakland Mayor 2026. Electmindy.com
Mindy - Thank you for your comment. According to the city’s plan, Oakland’s homeless population is growing by 1,000 people per year.
Alameda County’s homeless population decreased 3%. Oakland’s went up 9%.
The city estimates that the cost of its 50% homelessness reduction goal is $1.06 billion.
The city further states that “if homelessness prevention is not adequately scaled,” $202.3 million more would be needed per year – an additional $1.01 billion over five years, just to reach the 50% reduction target.
The city says that it would need to spend a total of $3.2 billion to eliminate homelessness in ten years.
Given the significant gap between the total cost and the actual resources available, the result is a goal that the current budget cannot meet.
Yes, I agree Sean. It is a goal that cannot be met.
The number of homeless dropped in the rest of Alameda County because places like Hayward and Fremont took a hard line on the problem and, as predicted, they moved to Oakland. As other cities and towns throughout the Bay Area and beyond crack down on the homeless, this will continue to happen until Oakland wakes up and takes the hard line and puts treatment first. Cut-off all the nonreporting, unsuccessful NGOs/non-profits that eat up the budget and are making money off the homeless and partner with someone like Salvation Army that has a record of success and accountability. Not doing anything or putting housing first for a lot of the homeless (i.e. drug addicts and the mentally ill)is just cruel.