Looking back on 2021, it would be easy to fall into despair.
It was the deadliest year in Oakland in more than a decade, with upwards of 130 homicides, each robbing us of a son, a sister, a friend. The number of unhoused people seemed only to swell, in parks and on streets, even as homes become still harder for most to afford. COVID’s omicron variant has surged, threatening a hard-won downturn in cases. Theft from our businesses — including mom-and-pop stores — has taken a new and violent turn amid organized crime swarms. There are moments where hope seems like the most unaffordable commodity of all.
This virtual press conference discussed highlights from a new report detailing the program’s first two years, including data that gives a picture of housing insecurity during the pandemic.
