An Oakland neighborhood is the scene of a do-it-yourself attempt to keep the homeless from parking their RVs in the area with the presence of car-size logs along the street.
By Monday evening, no one had yet claimed responsibility for placing the large logs, and little had been done by the city to get the logs removed.
Dennis Adair is one of the last people left living in an RV on Poplar Street between 18th Street and West Grand. He’s lived there for about a year.
"I had a stroke almost a year ago," Adair said. "I have a mass in my brain and in my liver and in my lungs, so I’m kinda in poor health."
The giant logs are about as big as cars. Several people told NBC Bay Area it’s clear what the logs are for, but they don’t know where they came from. Several similarly sized logs were seen in a nearby lot, where crews are building a climbing gym.
"It’s keeping them away, which is kind of hard because there aren’t many places for them to go," said Ariana Crow, a welder. "But it’s also keeping the street not full of trash."
Homeless Action Center staff attorney Antoine James said the homeless crisis is real, and the logs aren’t a solution.
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"Really, the issue is the affordable housing crisis, and what better options are there for people looking for shelter," he said.
Adair said as soon as someone moves out of a spot, a log appears in that spot.
The city of Oakland does not support the intentional obstruction of a public right of way, and city staff will be reaching out to council members and community stakeholders on the issue, city spokesman Sean Maher said.
Maher also said any obstructions should be reported to "OAK311," and the city will respond accordingly.
