On Tuesday, the first chilly morning in days, about 10 people lingered in anticipation outside of the tiny-home shelter where Third and Peralta streets converge in West Oakland. A dog named Bud chased a tennis ball around them.
It was scheduled to be the last day for the shelter, which opened about four years ago under an innovative model where residents would “self-govern” alongside a nonprofit service provider. The city rented a vacant lot from the California Department of Transportation and stocked it with aluminum huts from the company Pallet.
Residents say that the unconventional leadership model, as well as conditions at the shelter, have deteriorated over time. But up to 16 people out of an original 40 or so said they plan to stay put as long as they can, even if they face arrest as the city comes to kick them out…