At Oakland’s city council meeting on Tuesday morning, council members will vote on a new Encampment Abatement Policy (EAP), a proposal that has been debated and delayed for nine months. This is likely the vote that decides whether it passes.
Why it matters: Oakland’s current encampment policy – adopted in 2020 – hasn’t worked.
Residents in flatland neighborhoods across East and West Oakland have lived alongside RVs, abandoned cars, and encampments for years – while the city has largely been unable to act because the current policy gives it very few tools to do so.
What’s new: The new EAP, proposed by District 7 council member Ken Houston, gives the city a functional framework for managing encampments and keeping public spaces accessible.
Currently, an abandoned RV can sit next to a school for months and the city can do nothing because it’s technically an encampment.
Under the new policy, vehicles like RVs, vans, and cars are no longer classified as encampments and can be towed like any other illegally parked or unregistered vehicle under California law.
This means the city can act immediately when encampments block sidewalks, ADA pathways, schools, or parks – without waiting through lengthy processes.
Zoom out: The communities most impacted by encampments are the ones asking for change.
A recent poll of 700 registered Oakland voters across all seven council districts found broad consensus on encampments.
79% support clearing encampments from parks and sidewalks.
Support was highest in the neighborhoods most directly affected – East Oakland, where it exceeds 80%, and District 7, where it reached 87%.
For unhoused residents: The EAP is not a homelessness solution – nor does it need to be.
Oakland has separate investments and policies for homelessness, including a new Office of Homeless Solutions and a recently released strategic action plan.
The EAP is about keeping public spaces accessible.
Importantly, the new EAP still requires the city to make “every reasonable effort” to offer shelter before clearing a tent encampment. It also allows for low-sensitivity zones – designated areas where encampments are tolerated – to give unhoused residents some stability.
Speak up: If you want your voice to be heard ahead of the city council meeting on Tuesday morning, you can:
Email the your council member and/or the full council (pre-written email linked here).
Submit an e-comment on the city’s public meeting portal.
Attend the meeting in person or virtually on Tuesday, April 14 at 9:30am at Oakland City Hall. You’ll have to sign up at least 24 hours before the meeting.
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