AGENDA REPORT
TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: LaTonda Simmons
City Administrator Assistant City Administrator
SUBJECT: Wood Street Shelter Transition &
Lease Compliance
DATE: April 11, 2025
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To Amend The Professional Services Agreements (PSA) With Building Opportunities For Self-Sufficiency (BOSS):
(1) To Extend The Term Of The Wood Street Safe Recreational Vehicle (R V) Program To December 31, 2025 In Order To Wind Down The Program And Return The Property To The Owner; And
(2) To Add $2,080,000 To Operate The Wood Street Community Cabin Program Through June 30, 2025 And Wind Down The Program And Return The Property To The Owner By December 31, 2025
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Adoption of the proposed resolution would authorize the City Administrator to utilize federal Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP)-1 and City Measure Q funding to provide emergency shelter services at the 2601 Wood Street Cabin site program. The term of the contract will expire on December 31, 2025.
The proposed resolution will allow the City Administrator to amend an agreement with BOSS, the provider, to oversee the program to provide site management and emergency interim shelter supports for unhoused persons on Wood Street and to sunset the Community Cabin and RV Safe Parking Programs due to the expiration of the lease for the property located at 2201-2601 Wood Street, Oakland, CA, with the leaseholder Game Changers (San Francisco), LLC.
Jestin Johnson (Apr 24, 2025 10:57 PDT)
4/24/2025
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Wood Street Shelter Transition & Lease Compliance Date: April 11, 2025 Page 2
City Council
May 6, 2025
REASON FOR URGENCY
The Safe RV and Community Cabin programs were established on a parcel of land leased by the City from Game Changers LLC, which is set to expire on December 31, 2025 . Additional funds are urgently needed to responsibly sunset the programming and transition the participants to housing and other shelter programs, as well as return the property to the conditions stated in the lease agreement. Should the funds for this program not be approved, this will lead to the imminent displacement of over 100 unsheltered program participants across Oakland.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
On February 26, 2019, the City Council approved Resolution No.87538 C.M.S., declaring a local emergency due to the welfare and safety conditions of those who live in homelessness or are at risk of homelessness and pursuant to Government Code section 8630.
In late 2021 and into 2022, the City, along with Caltrans, worked to relocate people f rom Wood Street encampments, as it was one of the largest encampments in the city, and transition them into emergency housing shelter programs. 100 persons from the Wood Street encampment area were transitioned into the Wood Street Community Cabin Program with the use of the Encampment Resolution F und Program (ERF) from the State of California . The funding was utilized to construct and operate the facilities, as well as cover the long-standing rental costs of Herc generators at the site.
Persons were also enrolled in the RV Safe Parking Program to support up to 40 individuals and/or couples to connect to support services. Since its inception in July 2021, several rounds of HHAP funding have funded the RV Safe Parking Program.
On July 21, 2022 , the City Council approved Resolution No. 89378 C.M.S., to accept the encampment resolution funds for a homeless intervention at 2610 Wood Street. The grant requirements mandated the expenditure of funds by June 30, 2024. The funds for this program have been expended, and additional funds are needed to continue to execute it through the end of the calendar year 2025.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
The proposed resolution will secure funding from HHAP -1 and Measure Q through December 2025 to provide support to the part icipants to transition to ho using or other shelter programs as well as decommission the sites located at 2201-2601 Wood Street back to the obligations stated in the lease with Game Changers (San Francisco), LLC, by the date of the lease expiration.
In accordance with the City-wide priority of housing, economic, and cultural security, we are providing emergency shelter for underserved residents of Oakland, and in accordance with the City-wide priority of holistic community safety, we are providing safe and dignified space for homeless individuals. Should the funding for this program not be amended, we will be forced to place people back on the street and not honor our commitment to the City of Oakland residents to provide safe and stable shelter for the unhoused.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Wood Street Shelter Transition & Lease Compliance Date: April 11, 2025 Page 3
City Council
May 6, 2025
FISCAL IMPACT
The funds for the original contract for the 2601 Wood Street Cabin Project were designated through 89378 C.M.S. and appropriated in the S tate of California Fund (2159), Community Housing Service Organization (78411), Third party grants Account (54912), and in Proj ect (1006324) Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) in the amount of $4,470,503.00
The funds for the amendment contract for the 2601 Wood Street Cabin Pr oject have been designated through Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and their Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) Round 1, State of California Fund (2159) , Community Housing Service Organization (78411), HHAP FY2021 thru FY2023 Project (1005248), and Homeless Services & Support Program (NB41) in the amount of $1,380,000 and Measure Q, Fund (2244), Community Housing Service Organization (78411), Measure Q Homeless Project (1005349), and Homeless Services & Support Program (NB41) in the amount of $700,000, not to exceed the total of $2,080,000.00.
Furthermore, it is possible that funding could potentially come from Oakland Public Works' Measure Q Fund. If necessary, we will determine the organization, project, and program at a later date.
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
The Human Services Department will continue to meet with the provider on a continuous basis to follow up on the engagement of the participants in the program and refer them to housing and other shelter options.
COORDINATION
Preparation of this report included coordination with the Human Services Department, the City Attorney’s Office, and the City Administrator’s Office.
PAST PERFORMANCE, EVALUATION, AND FOLLOW-UP
In the past fiscal year of 23/24, the Cabin and RV programs combined have served 179 individuals, 47% being African American, and 167 of the individuals coming from literal homelessness. This accounts for almost half of the population they serve and is in alignment with the large number of unsheltered African American populations in Oakland.
Prior to the program’s sunset, BOSS will work with the City of Oakland’s CHS staff to offer shelter and transfer clients to other city -run shelter programs. A warm handoff to providers to keep the coordination of services updated and provide up-to-date information on the clients and where they are with their possible housing matches through the County’s Coordinated Entry System.
During the operation period of the program, the Wood Street Community Cabins and RV Safe Parking programs have faced many challenges that have affected their success. Many outside factors, such as threats of violence to the program participants and staff, large encampments re- Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Wood Street Shelter Transition & Lease Compliance Date: April 11, 2025 Page 4
City Council
May 6, 2025
forming around the program site, numerous breaches to the property fences, and reports of illegal activity in the surrounding area, have made it challenging for the provider and program participants.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: The funds will be used to provide interim housing and services support to the residents of the cabin program, enabling them to transition to permanent housing. Additionally, they will be used to decommission the site and restore it to the conditions outlined in the lease agreement with Game Changers (San Francisco) LLC.
Environmental: The provision of housing and services for homeless persons is intended to address the environmental degradation caused by homeless families and individuals precariously housed or living on the streets and will support cleaner and safer streets.
Race & Equity: In Oakland, homelessness falls most squarely on the backs of the African American community, who, due to long-standing structurally racist practices such as redlining and employment discrimination, are most vulnerable to losing their housing. According to the 2024 Point in Time Count for Oakland, 52% of the population of persons who identify as Black or African American make up the unsheltered population; however, this demographic is only 21% of the general population. Passing this resolution will allow us to continue to offer support services and connections to resources to remove barriers to housing for individuals living in emergency shelter programs. The funds target at-risk populations of unsheltered persons at the Wood Street Program.
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Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Wood Street Shelter Transition & Lease Compliance Date: April 11, 2025 Page 5
City Council
May 6, 2025
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To Amend The Professional Services Agreements (PSA) With Building Opportunities For Self-Sufficiency (BOSS):
(1) To Extend The Term Of The Wood Street Safe Recreational Vehicle (RV) Program To December 31, 20 25, In Order To Wind Down The Program And Return The Property To The Owner; And
(2) To Add $2,080,000 To Operate The Wood Street Community Cabin Program Through June 30, 2025, And Wind Down The Program And Return The Property To The Owner By December 31, 2025
For questions regarding this report, please contact TIARA JONES, PROGRAM ANALYST III, at 510-238-7562
Respectfully submitted,
LATONDA SIMMONS
Assistant City Administrator
Prepared by:
Tiara Jones, Program Analyst III
Community Homelessness Services
LaTonda Simmons (Apr 23, 2025 13:03 PDT)