A tax to support Oakland homeless shelters could be headed to the ballot

"“We don't have enough shelter beds in the city of Oakland,” Wang said. “Our ratio is really, strikingly low.” Wang wants to focus on funding services that address people who have only just started experiencing homelessness, which she believes will be cheaper and more effective in the long-run at getting people back into housing."

"Wang plans on introducing a ballot measure for the November election called the Oakland Shelter Access For Encampment Response Act, or “SAFER.” In an interview with The Oaklandside, she explained that her proposal will likely call for imposing a tax on real estate transactions involving foreclosed properties in the city. The revenue raised from this levy would be used to support interim shelter and transitional housing, among other services oriented toward unsheltered people."

"Earlier this year, a city office created by Mayor Barbara Lee issued a strategic action plan for reducing unsheltered homelessness in Oakland by 50% over the next five years. But the plan identified a roughly $284 million annual funding gap to accomplish this goal. Now, Councilmember Charlene Wang is proposing a way to raise money to pay for more shelter beds."

"More people enter homelessness each year than leave it in Oakland. The strategic action plan advanced by the Office of Homelessness Solutions touted the success of Oakland's “targeted prevention” program, which concentrates resources on households facing the greatest risk of losing shelter. The plan also noted that a shortage of eme"

Oakland’s homelessness crisis exceeds the city’s available resources, with fewer than 1,300 shelter beds for roughly 5,500 homeless people. The city has moved to shutter three shelters, including one of its only safe-parking programs. A strategic action plan aims to reduce unsheltered homelessness by 50% over five years but identifies an annual funding gap of about $284 million. Councilmember Charlene Wang proposes a November ballot measure, the Oakland Shelter Access For Encampment Response Act (SAFER), likely funded through a tax on real estate transactions involving foreclosed properties. Revenue would support interim shelter, transitional housing, and services for people newly experiencing homelessness, with an emphasis on responding before homelessness extends beyond three months.

Read at The Oaklandside