I wondered how Jerry Brown can justify gentrifying his own neighborhood while allowing developers the unchallenged right to build high rises and condo's that will effectively price out the longtime residents or the newly weds from living in Oakland. A very disturbing fact of life in the 10K Project is the loss of the First Step Homeless shelter. First Step provided shelter, meals, employment assistance, housing assistance, and substance abuse treatment to 234 Oakland residents each year. First Step received referrals from hospitals, social service agencies, the police department and others. Oakland is a growing and beautiful city, which should be shared by all.
Diversity is the key and that means economic diversity as well as cultural and racial diversity.
That is cute, but it does nothing to address the fact that many Oakland residents cannot afford to move to better locations. What is happening in Oakland is economic violence and a sellout of the city s diversity.