The Oakland City Council voted unanimously final night to move ahead with development of "secure haven" sites around the city where homeless residents can camp securely and access resources to seek housing,drug treatment, employment, and other services.
Similar to the Compassionate Communities pilot that was spearheaded by Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney,the secure havens will include portable toilets, wash stations, and regular rubbish pickup.
They could also include temporary structures such as Tuff sheds to allow Oakland's homeless residents to shelter themselves from the wind and rain.
Although many details still need to be worked out,the council directed city staffers to move ahead with developing a set of criteria that can be used to locate suitable sites. The city envisions contracting with nonprofits and other community groups to manage the havens, which could be located on public or private property.
The city was pressured to take action after the success of The Village, or an un-permitted settlement that was built on the grounds of the Grove Shafter Park in early 2017.…
Source: eastbayexpress.com