East Oakland residents, especially those in areas known for illegal dumping, are adjusting their daily routines due to excessive street trash. Maria Suarez, an East Oakland resident, avoids her usual laundromat and local businesses because of the trash near her home. The neighborhoods, mainly Latino and Black, are filled with furniture, household items, clothes, and garbage. Suarez stresses that the problem isn’t just the visible trash, but also its impact on businesses, health, and families.
Oakland Public Works (OPW) data shows that neighborhoods with predominantly communities of color have higher rates of illegal dumping. District 7, where Suarez lives, is the second most affected district. This district, bordering San Leandro, has a majority Latino population. District 3, or West Oakland, is the most affected, with nearly half of the residents being Black.
Suarez, an Oakland resident for 23 years, says the problem has worsened, impacting her family’s well-being. Her youngest daughter, a special education teacher, is upset by the trash outside her school. This has led her daughter to want to move out of Oakland. Suarez, a community leader at Faith in Action East Bay, has been addressing the issue of illegal dumping since 2015.