Mayor Weighs Charging Bay Area Cities if their Unhoused Residents Move to Oakland

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao is considering a plan to charge neighboring cities a fee if their homeless residents move to Oakland to take advantage of its services.

 The potential plan underscores the dire situation communities like Oakland are facing as they try to address the crisis. Oakland’s unhoused population has grown by 135% in the past five years, a recent survey done by the city shows that nearly 80% of the city’s homeless population is from Oakland…but it is the remaining 20% that mayor Thao feels is an undue burden to continue supporting.

 The controversial policy is being considered among other steps to combat Oakland’s growing homelessness crisis. The hope is that the fee may work as a deterrent from neighboring cities and help compensate Oakland for the cost of providing services to nonresidents. Please check out the full San Francisco Chronicle article by Sarah Ravani and Kevin Fagan here or contact Crisand Giles at HomeAid Northern California for additional information.