Posted on 11/21/2017 9:13:58 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
OAKLAND — For everyone who has ever passed one of this city’s sprawling homeless encampments and wondered how to help, Mayor Libby Schaaf has an answer — open your door to someone in need of shelter.
The Oakland mayor is asking residents to offer their spare rooms, Airbnb units and rental properties to the city’s homeless, a radical proposition that has prompted both cautious optimism and scathing criticism from her constituents.
In her annual “State of the City” speech, Schaaf challenged Oakland residents to “give up that Airbnb. Fix up that back unit,” and offer the space to people in need.
“I hear so many times every day people ask me, ‘how can I help the homeless?'” Schaaf said in an interview. “And so this is an inspirational example of how already more than 100 landlords are helping.”
“It’s a last-resort idea,” said Oakland homeowner Rebecca Chekouras, 66, “and I think it doesn’t make sense for anyone involved.”
There are plenty of Oaklanders with extra space, but many say they rely on rental income from those spare rooms to help pay their own living expenses. There are 2,761 homeless living in the city, according to the most recent count, though experts agree that number is likely low.
Some in the community argue Schaaf should set an example by opening her own home.
“Why would anyone else do it if she wasn’t willing to do it?” asked 48-year-old Judy Elkan, owner of the Mary Weather clothing store and art gallery in Oakland, and a member of the local Homeless Advocacy Working Group.
But Schaaf won’t be signing up her own home anytime soon. She says she doesn’t own rental property or a secondary unit, and has no space for tenants in the house she shares with her husband and two children.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
The homeless guy would only steal what he could carry.
As someone who has brought three homeless people into my home, this is a very bad idea. Dealing with homelessness is primarily a spiritual battle, and a real serious one.
The average city dweller has no tools to fix that problem.
I’m surprised that as a liberal she isn’t demanding that the govt “do something.”
Liberals “love” blacks. They just don’t want them in their neighborhoods.
I’m very surprised Osama didn’t go there... but then there WERE no homeless when HE was HNIC.
Excellent points. Just taking someone off the street, will not do anything to solve their problems which caused their homelessness in the first place.
And what does this mayor expect, because, as you note, the average person doesn’t have any idea what to do, to help that person solve their life’s problems.
Wow. Thats desperation right there. Sorry Mayor, I dont have an answer either. I (had to) lived in San Bernardino for a couple years....a couple days would have been too much. http://graphics.latimes.com/san-bernardino/
I know from personal experience that there would be more jobs for American citizens if the people who live and work AND VOTE there illegally were gone. There are whole departments of aerospace companies that make you feel like you’re on vacation in mexico when you walk into them. The finish operations departments especially.
BUT that may not help either see, because its so easy to be homeless in SoCal or live a very marginalized life and not work. $190 in food stamps and “disability” payments are collected by a huge number of people. Some notable person once said “when you pay a person to not work, they’re not going to work”.
I’m guessing that maybe 1 out of 30 homeless people give a sh!t enough to hold a job and isn’t thoroughly messed up on meth, heroin, and/or alcohol. There IS a liquor store on EVERY corner! You think that may contribute to your problem? Hmmmm....
Mayor...you got a culture problem...not a homeless problem. Good luck. Better you than me.
“So cities are hampered in doing anything because, unless they can cite homeless for committing some other crimes, police will be impotent to deal with problems created by homeless.”
So ordinances against vagrancy are unconstitutional?
I’ve heard there have been court cases on the subject. Laws against vagrancy have to be written very specifically and enforced in certain ways, is what I’ve heard.
Given that so many cities have homeless camps, set up by homeless wherever they want to go, I have to believe that officials are told they can’t just break up these encampments.
I agree, but I believe it is mostly due to the political fallout from the optics of clearing a homeless encampment. Racist, insensitive, etc.
Judging by the picture and the story, and acknowledging I could be waaaaaay off base - she doesn’t look like someone who would tolerate the illegal alien spending 10 seconds longer than necessary to finish mowing her yard. Can’t see her opening up her doors to the needed as she’s suggested others do.
I could see it now, invite a homeless into our house...see items disappear. Yes, I think it would be wonderful to invite complete strangers into your house, what could go wrong...?
You first, Mayor! Lead by example!
Otherwise, shut the eff up. Communist dirtbag......
“HNIC”
Is that anything like HMFIC?
You first.
Not any more. Once again, the wisdom of the Founding Fathers prevails....
“..2,761 homeless...”
I’d wager illegal aliens are taking up housing space far in excess needed for this many homeless....
A recipe for ‘Dog a la King’? Or ‘Dog Pot Pie’?
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