Mayor Lee's Homelessness Solutions Priorities

Oakland faces a serious homelessness crisis. As of 2024, 5,485 people in Oakland are experiencing homelessness — a 9% increase since 2022 — and more than 3,600 of them are living outside without shelter. Each year, about 2,550 Oakland residents lose their housing, but only 1,500 people find a permanent home. This means the number of people experiencing homelessness keeps growing. Black Oakland residents are hit hardest — Oakland makes up 74% of all Black homelessness in Alameda County. This is the result of decades of underinvestment in affordable housing, healthcare, and good jobs. Mayor Lee believes this is both a humanitarian crisis and a racial justice issue that demands urgent action. 

Mayor Lee worked with the City Administration to establish a new Office of Homelessness Solutions and appoint a Chief Homelessness Solutions Officer to lead the City’s Homelessness Strategic Action Plan. The goal is clear: cut unsheltered homelessness in half within five years. The plan invests in five key areas — preventing homelessness before it starts, connecting people to services, cleaning up encampments, providing emergency shelter, and building permanent affordable housing. Permanent housing is the biggest investment because it works best — 90% of people who receive permanent housing with support stay housed. The City currently has $122 million per year for homelessness programs but needs $388 million to meet the goal. To close that gap, Mayor Lee is pursuing County, State, and Federal funding, a new local bond measure, and partnerships with businesses and nonprofits. Mayor Lee is committed to making homelessness rare in Oakland — while keeping neighborhoods clean and safe for everyone.