Oakland announced it is opening a new homeless shelter this week and move-ins are already underway.
The former Extended Stay America at 3650 Mandela Parkway has been acquired with a combination of state and local funds and transformed into a 105-unit shelter capable of housing 150 individuals and couples. Eventually, the building will be converted into 125 units of permanent supportive housing operated by the Housing Consortium of the East Bay, a nonprofit that operates several affordable housing and shelter facilities in Oakland and across the region.
Residents of three large homeless encampments will be offered housing in the former hotel, according to the city. This includes:
- Five residents from encampments closed last year along Martin Luther King Jr. Way
- Approximately 79 residents of the E. 12th Street encampment
- Approximately 41 residents of the Mosswood Park encampment
“Our efforts to secure housing for unsheltered residents at two major encampments in District 3 is finally here and I am excited that the acquisition will lead to a significant number of permanent supportive housing units in Oakland,” Carroll Fife said about the city’s acquisition of the Extended Stay America property.
According to Fife, the project began three years ago but “gained traction” last year when she and the city’s lobbying firm, Townsend Public Affairs, were able to secure a $7 million Encampment Resolution Fund grant from the state.
“Every delay reminded us why this work matters and I thank our Sacramento team, D3 neighbors, and deep appreciation to the Housing and Community Development Department for their tireless work on this project,” said Fife in a statement.
The housing is also being paid for through a $25 million state Community Care Expansion grant, $4.6 million from the city’s Rapid Response Homeless Housing program, more than $14 million in support from Alameda County, about half a million in opioid settlement funds, and other sources.
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