Survey: Homelessness most urgent issue

Despite rising gun violence and continued high housing costs in Oakland, a survey released this week reveals that the top concern of city residents is homelessness.

The homelessness crisis in Oakland has exploded over the past decade — an intractable problem in the wider region that city leaders have struggled to get a handle on.

Homelessness in the city has increased by 131 percent since 2015, and from 2019 to 2022 the number of unhoused people grew by 22 percent . By contrast, some other cities, including San Francisco and Berkeley, have seen decreases in recent years. Oakland now accounts for nearly half of the entire homeless population in Alameda County, with more than 5,000 people living on the streets and in shelters.

The survey, commissioned by the city and conducted by professional polling firm FM3 Research in Oakland, asked 1,270 residents what services should be invested in and which could be trimmed. The findings will help inform the city’s budget process as the mayor and City Council begin looking at what to prioritize.

More than 35 percent of residents surveyed said homelessness was the most urgent problem Oakland must address as it develops its next budget. Just under 20 percent said crime and violence were the most urgent and 14% said housing costs and affordability were their top concern.

Overall, residents said they were dissatisfied with city leaders — 63 percent said they disapprove of the job that city government is doing, but 54% percent said Oakland is either a good or excellent place to live.

The budget, which the mayor proposes and the council adopts every two years, could potentially show a $200 million deficit — meaning the city will likely have to make tough cuts. In the survey, residents said they were most open to reducing spending on festivals, concert series, art programs and graffiti cleanup. Residents also said they would approve cutting some support for small businesses for facade improvements and other repairs.

A majority of the respondents said they would not support cutting programs that tackle illegal dumping, cleanups at homeless encampments and other homelessness services, including temporary shelters. Respondents also opposed cutting victim services, violent crime investigation and food distribution to seniors and families.

The city’s efforts to combat homelessness have been mixed. A recent city audit raised questions about the effectiveness of the city’s programs for the unhoused. The audit found that about half of the homeless residents who went through the city’s community cabin site became homeless again.

Mayor Sheng Thao, who herself experienced homelessness as a young mother, has yet to release a plan to tackle homelessness, but has said she supports plans to open a portion of the city’s former Army base for temporary housing and wraparound services. City staff have said it wouldcost more than $20 million a year to house residents at the site, which they said is unsafe for housing because it’s contaminated with lead, arsenic, kerosene and other toxic substances.

Julie Edwards, Thao’s spokeswoman, said the mayor is in the process of drafting her budget.

“Addressing the homelessness crisis is a top issue and that will be reflected,” Edwards said in a statement. “We anticipate having more details on her budget blueprint and policy proposals in coming weeks.”

Homeless advocates urged the city to boost its temporary housing options and collaborate with unhoused residents on solutions that work for them. Talya Husbands-Hankin, a homeless advocate, said the city should acquire underutilized hotels and motels to use as shelters, and open lots and public land for people to live on.

Liana Molina, a housing rights advocate, said the city should invest in legal resources for tenants who could be at risk of eviction and falling into homelessness. She also said the city should prioritize trash removal, access to clean water and bathroom facilities until housing and shelter space is available for unhoused residents.

“If we can’t get people housed immediately, how can we improve the conditions that exist?” Molina said.

In addition to planning for services, Thao is also tasked with selecting the city’s next homelessness administrator — a key role that the city has had trouble keeping filled.

Thao’s plans for homelessness services will likely become more clear over the next two months as she prepares to plan for the city’s $3.85 billion two-year budget in May.

Last year, city officials attempted to figure out just how much the city was spending on homelessness, both in direct and indirect costs. A report estimated the figure at $122 million per year, but officials said the true cost is hard to nail down.