Fire sparks at East 12th Street encampment in East Oakland, after city sweeps the area
Oakland: East 12th Street homeless encampment goes up in flames after city sweeps area
Some folks in the area say they lost everything in the sweep, but some community members say they have been waiting for a change. KTVU's Tori Gaines reports from Oakland.
OAKLAND, Calif. - A fire sparked in the rubble of the East 12th Street homeless encampment in East Oakland on Tuesday, after crews from the city worked to dismantle it.
If you drive through East Oakland, you may see a big change this week.
The City of Oakland is now removing the blocks-long encampment on East 12th Street that has been growing for years.
"I have seen fires, my husband works down the street and there has been fires across the street from where his shop is," Oakland resident Laura Plasencia told KTVU.
The structures built at the encampment weren’t just any shelters; some of them were two stories tall.
The City of Oakland tells KTVU that services were offered to 79 individuals before the sweep of the encampment began. But a homeless advocate on the ground says services weren't offered to everyone living there.
"The numbers kept changing around, but at the time, they said they had 79 people on their census—that they took a year and a half ago—that were supposed to be eligible for housing. Not all of those people are even being referred to Mandela House because they don’t have enough rooms," Sathya Baskaran, a homeless advocate in Oakland tells KTVU. "The city has expressly denied responsibility to offer services to the remaining people, who they are referring to as ‘floaters’."
While some are struggling with the change, some community members are celebrating it.
"The infestation, the rats and the way of living around here is going to be changed a lot. The smells, the air…" Bruce Vung, a business owner nearby tells KTVU. Vung says many folks who lost shelter nearby have no place to go, and he believes they'll move back in if the space isn't secured.
Vung has owned a business near East 12th Street for more than four decades. He says he’s experienced a lot in that time, including a robbery last year that cost him $80,000.
He says he’s glad the city is making change, but he wishes officials would be more on top of the details.
"I didn’t think the city was prepared enough for this. They should have done more, get the right count, the right numbers," Vung said.
One unhoused woman, who asked not to be identified, tells KTVU just how quickly a person can slip into the cycle of homelessness, and why we should all aim to care for everyone in our community.
"I was just like any other ordinary person, but something happened, and I couldn’t get back. I kept trying though. Think about it, you’re stranded in your own city," she said.
If you are interested in donating money or resources to the unhoused people who lived in the encampment, please reach out to the Love and Justice in the Streets team.