Oakland to begin clearing Lake Merritt encampments

OAKLAND, Calif. - This week, the city of Oakland will begin clearing encampments around Lake Merritt as part of efforts to beautify the area. People living in tents have been given notice to move.

Under the 10th and 12th Street bridges near Peralta Park, the sidewalks are lined with encampments. On Monday, the city posted notices giving residents seven days to vacate the illegal encampments and move their vehicles.

"I don’t think it’s fair because I need some place to go, and it’s kind of sad when you have to be out here homeless in a tent and the housing stuff is unaffordable," said Michelle Wade, an Oakland resident.

"I don’t know if there’s enough time to get all my stuff together, but I just want to make sure I get my things out of the way, so I won’t be a hassle," said Darrell Turner, another Oakland resident.

The sweep coincides with the start of a re-vegetation project at Peralta Park, set to begin on Monday. The project aims to improve water quality, create wildlife habitats, and enhance recreational spaces.

The city says outreach teams are on-site to offer services and available shelter to those affected.

Homelessness challenges amid cleanup

Wade and Turner said they would be willing to take the city up on its offer, though the process is often complicated. 

"Usually, when you call the shelters, they’re usually full," Wade said. "Sometimes, most of the time you have to be on a waiting list, and then you’re put right back out here waiting for that, and they refer you to places and there’s always a waiting list for something that causes a hold up." 

The project is funded by Measure DD, which voters approved in 2002. 

The city said the work is necessary to close out outstanding environmental regulatory permits issued by the state.

"I feel bad for these people. I think the city needs to put money aside to actually build housing," said Kaveh, an Oakland resident. "I know it’s not the best thing to have around Lake Merritt a bunch of tents, but they need to find some creative solutions."

The city will also begin sweeping encampments around Lake Merritt starting Wednesday, April 2nd. Many residents in the area said they’ve seen encampments come and go over the years.

"I think so, yeah, in terms of keeping the neighborhood safe overall, because sometimes the encampments get too large where you don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes," said Sabrina Siddiqi, an Oakland resident.

A recent county estimate reveals that Oakland is home to more than 5,000 homeless people. Advocates argue that there are significantly fewer shelter beds available.