The Oakland City Council has once again delayed a vote on a controversial policy to crack down on the city’s homelessness encampments after state officials warned the proposal could jeopardize $45 million in homelessness funding for Oakland and Alameda County.
The first version of the Encampment Abatement Policy, unveiled by councilmember Ken Houston in September, would have given the city far more latitude to clear encampments — including the ability to remove camps and tow vehicles without first offering shelter. It also would have allowed police to arrest people for camping on public property and cite or tow unregistered RVs that serve as makeshift homes.
But around the same time Houston released his proposal, the state’s Interagency Council on Homelessness stepped in, urging for changes. In order to be eligible for this year’s state Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention grants, cities are required to bring any encampment policies in line with Cal ICH guidelines. Those guidelines require that before removing an encampment, a government must make an effort to identify shelter or an alternative location where residents can stay…