Free Temporary Housing for Bancroft Apartment Building Fire Residents

Published on October 01, 2026

Oakland--Residents of the 19 occupied units at a recent East Oakland apartment building fire are preparing now to move into free temporary accommodations provided by Airbnb.org while the City continues to support their searches for new permanent homes.

In the early morning of Friday, September 25, a three-alarm fire at an apartment building on Bancroft Avenue left many households displaced. The building contains 21 residential units, of which 19 were occupied. Thanks to the incredible work of over 60 members of the Oakland Fire Department and the residents themselves, the building was safely evacuated, and the fire was extinguished without any reported loss of life in just over an hour. Four individuals were transported to local hospitals for medical treatment. Following the fire, City of Oakland building officials red-tagged the property because it was deemed unsafe and entirely uninhabitable due to severe damage and structural failure.

All 19 households are now accounted for and being offered personal support. The City’s Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) and its emergency relocation service provider, Bay Area Community Services (BACS), are working directly with affected residents and the property owner to ensure that the requirements of the City’s relocation ordinance are met and that residents have both immediate and longer-term housing security in the aftermath of the fire.

In the near-term, the City is facilitating free temporary stays for residents through partnership with Airbnb.org and 211 Alameda County to help those affected begin their recovery. Airbnb.org is an independent nonprofit founded by Airbnb to provide free emergency housing to people during times of crisis. Since its founding in 2020, it has provided more than 120,000 nights of emergency housing in California.

“I am deeply grateful to our first responders, City staff, and the Red Cross for working around the clock to provide immediate shelter and relief to residents displaced by this fire,” Mayor Barbara Lee said. “Thanks to Airbnb.org, these families have safe temporary housing while the City helps them find permanent solutions. Working together to care for our neighbors in times of crisis is what Oakland is all about.”

HCD has provided both tenants and BACS a list of available units throughout the City’s affordable housing portfolio. Additionally, HCD staff issued the tenants ‘certifications of affordable housing preference’ for vacancies within properties funded by the City. Lastly, HCD has referred tenants to BACS to support them with individualized support for housing searches, move-in financial assistance, and free tenant legal services.

The City and Red Cross immediately opened a shelter for affected residents within a few hours of the fire. For their safety, the City has not published the address of that shelter.

The City announced Tuesday of plans to close the shelter on Thursday, October 1: a 48-hour notice was posted at the shelter and clients were notified in-person. As outlined above, all shelter residents have direct personal support from the City team and BACS to assist them securing temporary accommodations to move into as the shelter winds down.

We know members of the Oakland community are looking for ways they can help. The City is referring them to our partners at St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County, which issued this statement and link for community members who wish to help:

St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County is responding to the recent Oakland fire by providing immediate assistance to neighbors who have been displaced, including gift cards to help with urgent needs. We are also exploring additional support, including clothing vouchers and other essential resources.

Our Community Center provides showers, clothing, and other essential services to individuals in need. We also serve 700+ hot meals every day to our community, offering a warm meal and a welcoming place for anyone who needs support. All of these services are provided free of charge.

Your support helps us respond to those affected by the fire while continuing to serve neighbors throughout our community.

Visit svdp-alameda.org to support our work and help us provide immediate support to our neighbors as they work to stabilize their lives in the aftermath of the fire.

If you or someone you know has been affected by the fire and needs assistance, please call 510-638-7600 to learn more about available resources. 

Finally, the City Administration wishes to share its deepest gratitude to Mayor Lee and the Oakland City Council, City staff from all the contributing departments, and the many partner groups and organizations contributing to this effort. Those contributing to the support effort include:

  • 211 Alameda County
  • AirBNB.org
  • Alameda County Social Services Agency
  • American Red Cross
  • Bay Area Community Services
  • California Southern Baptist Disaster Relief
  • Centro Legal de la Raza
  • City Team Oakland
  • CORE
  • East Bay Community Law Center
  • East Oakland Collective
  • ICNA Bay
  • Lend a Hand Foundation
  • OUSD McKinney-Vento Program
  • Salvation Army
  • St Vincent De Paul of Alameda County
  • Tzu Chi
  • The Unity Council
  • Port Wilburn, Director of Missions of Bridges Bay Area Association and Pastor of Rock Harbor Christian Fellowship

 

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