70 Encampment Residents Transition into Interim Housing
Published on May 23, 2025
The City of Oakland has completed the closure of a massive and long-standing homeless encampment located on East 12th Street between 14th Ave. and 19th Ave., in an operation that began on May 12. 70 residents in the encampment successfully relocated to the Mandela House, a program funded primarily by the California Department of Housing and Community Development Encampment Resolution Fund (ERF) Round 3 grant.
“Oakland leads this work with compassion and respect for our unhoused community, and we are grateful that so many of the residents of this encampment have taken advantage of this opportunity,” said Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. “With the resources made possible by the State of California Encampment Resolution Fund, the City and our partners are committed to safe and sanitary maintenance of community spaces while guiding our most vulnerable residents toward the services they need.”
In addition to the 70 individuals who moved to Mandela House, six people enrolled in a medical respite care program. Medical respite programs provide room, board, and medical care for people experiencing homelessness who are recovering from a physical illness.
Outreach workers directly engaged 12th Street encampment residents one by one for more than a year leading up to the operation with offers of shelter and supportive services. Teams ensured that individuals were enrolled in the County's Coordinated Entry System, which provides connections to services and pathways to housing.
Oakland Fire Department, Oakland Police Department, Oakland's Community Homelessness Services Division, Oakland Animal Services, OakDOT’s Vehicle Enforcement Unit, Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland (MACRO), Operation Dignity, Alameda County Health Housing and Homelessness Services’ Health Care for the Homeless program, California Highway Patrol (CHP) and BART Crisis Response teams participated in the encampment closure to facilitate a smooth and supportive transition for encampment residents.
Oakland Animal Services (OAS) spayed or neutered 21 cats and returned them to their owners, minus a handful of cats that were surrendered, and the OAS medical outreach team rendered medical aid to two dogs. OAS will continue to offer free spay and neuter and other services to pets of the residents of Mandela House into the future. Human and Pet Initiative (HAPI) vaccinated 14 dogs and cats, microchipped nine, and distributed approximately 150 lbs of dog and cat food and other supplies to Mandela House residents.
A total of 423 tons of debris were removed and more than 33 abandoned and inoperable vehicles were towed from the location.
More about Mandela House and the Encampment Resolution Fund Grant
Located in what was formerly the Extended Stay America Hotel at 3650 Mandela Parkway, Mandela House serves as interim housing for up to 150 individuals and couples in 105 units, and is operated by Housing Consortium of the East Bay (HCEB). In the coming year the units will be converted into 125 units of Permanent Supportive Housing. The Mandela House program was funded in part by the State of California Encampment Resolution Fund (ERF) grant.
The ERF grant application called for the city to house up to 150 individuals from three encampments (E 12th St., MLK corridor, and Mosswood Park.) As of May 20, 33 participants have moved into Mandela House from the Mosswood Park encampment, three have moved in from the MLK corridor, and 70 came from E. 12th Street, for a total of approximately 106 people from the three target encampments at Mandela House. Up to two pets per household are allowed.
When the availability of services for an encampment community is promoted, the City observes that additional residents sometimes migrate to those encampments to take advantage of the services available. For people migrating to the E 12th Street location that won’t receive housing services from the ERF Grant specifically, Operation Dignity and Alameda County Health are continuing to provide connections to services and support.
The acquisition of the Extended Stay America property was made possible through a combination of state and local funding sources, including a $7 million State of California Encampment Resolution Fund (ERF) grant received in November 2024, a $25 million Community Care Expansion (CCE) award, and a $4.6 million grant through the City’s Rapid Response Homeless Housing (R2H2) program.
What they’re saying
“I am so grateful for the collaborative efforts of multiple City departments and partner organizations in clearing these encampments in a safe and efficient way while offering shelter to the residents,” said Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson. “Great job to our hardworking City employees for putting compassion and service first while delivering results for our community. This operation was a huge success, made possible by incredible collaboration and cooperation of many partners.”
“Oakland’s Encampment Management Team is grateful to our Mayor and City Council for their leadership and support,” said Assistant City Administrator G. Harold Duffey. “We are pleased that so many of the vulnerable residents of this encampment accepted help and are moving into programs and shelter. Oakland should be very proud of this operation. It’s a testament to how a coordinated effort between the City, County and State of California can result in removing individuals from the street and into housing in an efficient and effective manner.”
What’s next
Decommissioning the E12th St. encampment and removing debris from side streets will continue over the next three weeks, as crews prepare the site for construction to reduce the likelihood of re-encampment. City staff will continue to register individuals from the three encampments until Mandela House reaches capacity.
About the Encampment Management Team
The Encampment Management Team is an interdepartmental working group led by the City Administrator’s Office. The Encampment Management Team ensures that Oakland’s encampment policies are executed and in compliance with the law, including conducting outreach, coordinating shelter, providing access to resources, ensuring safety, and addressing environmental or health concerns.
The Encampment Management Team’s mission is to implement the City’s Encampment Management Policy while protecting and serving all Oaklanders, sheltered and unsheltered, focusing on public safety, public health, and protecting critical infrastructure.