Oakland’s rising homelessness crisis prompts DIY effort using large logs

Someone in Oakland has been taking matters into their own hands by placing car-sized logs in front of businesses in an effort to deter transients from setting up camp in the California city.

While the motive is clear — to keep the homeless out — no one person or group has come forward to say they are behind the long line of logs that have been preventing the homeless from parking their RVs or dilapidated vehicles in front of businesses.

City officials have complained the logs have blocked crews from cleaning up the areas of Oakland but admit they have done little to root out the culprit.

OAKLAND’S HOMELESS STATS SOAR AS PRESSURE GROWS FROM RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES FOR A SOLUTION

Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney told the East Bay Times (EBT) she’s reached out to local business owners but that no one would fess up to doing it.

Sean Maher, a spokesman for Oakland’s Public Works Department, said he considers the logs an “intentional obstruction of the public right of way,” but admits the department has not reached out to local businesses to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Greg Anderson, manager at the Oakland Music Complex, told EBT that he doesn’t have a problem with the logs and blames the city for not addressing the homelessness situation earlier.

“Since the city does an extremely poor job in preventing homeless encampments from developing in West Oakland, these logs that were placed out there by a neighboring company have been instrumental in minimizing these encampments,” Anderson said in an email.

Smittah

Article URL : https://www.foxnews.com/us/oakland-homeless-businesses-large-logs