A 5-Point Plan and Long-Awaited Measure W Funds Fuel the City’s Latest Push for Housing Solutions and Equity
Oakland mayor Barbara Lee recently announced the formation of a new city department dedicated to addressing homelessness in the area using a 5-point plan.
“The Office of Homelessness Solutions and our 5-Point Plan are about common-sense action – uniting our talented city teams, community partners, and regional allies under one strategic vision,” Mayor Lee said in a news release. “With the pending resources from Measure W and our evidence-based approach, we are investing in what works. Oakland is positioned to lead the region in increasing lasting solutions, and this new office reflects our commitment to every Oakland resident – housed and unhoused – that we build a city where everyone has a safe, clean place to call home.”
What is Measure W?
Measure W is a ballot initiative that was passed by voters in Alameda County in November 2020. The ballot measure asked voters if they would approve of a County of Alameda ordinance being adopted that would “establish a half-cent sales tax for 10 years, to provide essential County services, including housing and services for those experiencing homelessness, mental health services, job training, social safety net, and other general fund services.”
The measure passed with 50.09% of the vote and was estimated to provide the county with an additional $150,000,000 of annual funding to use for the stated purposes. Measure W funds, along with other sources, form the funding basis for the new Office of Homelessness Solutions…