Oakland City Council President Rebecca Kaplan made national news this week after several media outlets reported on her idea to temporarily house the city’s homeless on a cruise ship. “It is a human catastrophe,” Kaplan told USA Today. “It has to be all hands on deck.”
The homeless crisis continues to be the Bay Area’s most pressing problem. The number of homeless individuals continues to increase in Oakland where encampments on city streets are commonplace.
Kaplan said several cruise ship companies quickly offered to help with her proposal. Some offering ships that could house about 1,000 people.
The Port of Oakland, which would have oversight for such cruise ship docked within its jurisdiction, however, is cool to Kaplan’s idea. Suitable infrastructure for a cruise ship does not exist at the port. In addition, residential housing would be prohibitive at the port due to safety and security reasons.
ebcitizen.com 