City to Evict North Oakland Homeless Encampment Thursday Morning

On Monday, a group of about 30 people living in tents and RVs were given 72-hour notice to vacate the North Oakland neighborhood near 38th Street and Manila Avenue. Several people who currently live there were originally swept out from Mosswood Park in February.

The United Front Against Displacement organization is calling on the public to join in defense of the encampment Thursday morning at 8 a.m. They’ve asked people to gather at 40th Street and Manila Avenue.

The UFAD is making the following demands:

• The eviction be canceled
• No property is confiscated or vehicles towed
• The city only remove the encampment once they find adequate housing alternatives for all residents

Dayton Andrews of UFAD told Broke-Ass Stuart in an interview that a limited number of hotel rooms and Tuff Sheds were offered during the Mosswood eviction, but that most people were unaware of resources and were not approached by Operation Dignity, an organization that partners with the city for outreach. 

A small group of neighbors have actively helped encampment residents by bringing items including masks, water and food. The neighbors also arranged for two portable toilets to support the encampment and help keep the area clean. The toilets were still at the site Sunday when Andrews was last there.

RVs and other vehicles that serve as homes for Oakland residents parked on the right side of Manila Ave in North Oakland between 38th and 40th street got 72 hour notices to move yesterday. It’s related to a clearance operation set for Thursday. pic.twitter.com/xHYg3v5kAd

— Zack Haber (@ZZZZZZZZZZZack) August 25, 2020

But on the flip side, a petition that went around a little more than two months ago with roughly 50 signatures requested the city to remove the encampment. The city seems to have chosen the side of the petitioners and has cited safety risk concerns.

However, a building near the encampment that has been empty since 1993 is suddenly slated to be demolished. Andrews said the new effort to demolish the building was put into action about two months ago. The timeline correlation is impossible to ignore.

Andrews said:

“It is our belief that the demolition is only part of the story, that they have interest in removing the encampment.”

The UFAD will be at the encampment Thursday morning to voice objection to the eviction and bear witness to city worker actions. People can follow the organization on their Twitter account @TheUfad.