Laser-focused on Oakland's Biggest Issues

1. Fix Oakland’s public safety crisis 

Public safety is the foundation of a thriving community. But crime rates have skyrocketed in Oakland, leaving too many of us feeling unsafe in our own homes and on our streets: Oakland has the fewest police officers per crime of any major city in America. Oakland’s crime rate is 5x the national average. Since pre-pandemic, the robbery rate has more than doubled, and car theft has more than tripled. Traffic enforcement has collapsed. Current leadership has failed to protect us. They’ve advanced policies that undermine effective policing, used questionable data to justify their anemic response, and allowed 911 to devolve into a nightmare of delays and inefficiencies. 

Oaklanders have had enough. We must treat this emergency with the urgency it deserves. 

Action plan:

• Fully staff the police force and 911 dispatch to keep our city safe from violent crime, theft, carjackings, and home invasions.
• Hold police officers accountable for misconduct, further effective and just prosecution strategies, and quickly end 21 years of federal oversight under the Negotiated Settlement Agreement (NSA) due to its undue impact on the OPD’s ability to police effectively and meet the crisis of today.
• Rapidly deploy modern technology solutions such as ALPR cameras that can help police catch criminals and fight crime.
• Focus resources on deterrence programs with proven effectiveness and outcomes: expand Oakland’s Ceasefire program and coordinate strategies across the Department of Violence Prevention, MACRO, Ceasefire, and OPD to effectively reduce violence in our communities.

2. Tackle homelessness 

Oakland’s homelessness crisis has spiraled out of control, overwhelming our public spaces and parks, and yet city officials are unwilling to deliver common sense and compassionate measures to address the problem. No one in our community should be forced to live on the street when solutions are within reach.

Action plan:

• Fully implement Oakland’s Encampment Management Policy with clarity, urgency, and compassion. The surge in encampments has attracted criminal activity, created hazardous conditions, and left public spaces unusable, making Oakland less safe for everyone. 
• Increase the supply of housing at all income levels and types, including tiny-homes and emergency shelters, and preserve truly affordable housing so no one has to live in desperate conditions.
• Enhance homelessness supportive services by building new mental health facilities and strengthening programs like financial assistance and legal aid. Implement regular evaluation and accountability measures to ensure these efforts effectively prevent homelessness. 

3. Build more housing

Too many people in our community are being displaced from Oakland or forced onto the streets because they can no longer afford housing in the city they love. The root causes are clear: an unwillingness to build enough housing at all income levels, an insufficient affordable housing pipeline, and complex, time-consuming permitting processes that make it difficult to create new homes. We must tackle these issues head-on to ensure that Oakland remains a place where everyone can live and thrive.

Action plan:

• Work with affordable housing and market rate housing developers to rapidly build a diverse range of housing at all income levels.
• Remove costly and time-consuming bureaucracy and red tape in housing approvals by reforming zoning codes and streamlining permitting processes to reduce costs, increase predictability, and speed up construction. 
• Work with the Building Trades Council of Alameda County and other labor partners to ensure fair workplaces and job training opportunities for Oakland youth. 
• Implement innovative solutions to generate more low-cost housing, including utilizing vacant land, converting empty office buildings into housing, and expanding the use of pre-fab and other types of manufactured homes.

4. Restore trust and accountability to government 

Oakland’s government has failed to meet the needs of its residents. An irresponsible budgeting process overly reliant on the sale of the Coliseum, along with a string of no-bid contracts, missed grants, and shortsighted policies, have left our city in disarray. We need a government that is transparent, responsive, and accountable. 

Action plan:

• Address the structural deficit by reducing debt service, pension obligations, and recurring expenses where possible, while also shifting to stable revenue sources that are resilient to economic downturns.
• Implement a performance management system that tracks outcomes for all contracts, grants and initiatives to drive continuous improvement and transparency in public service delivery. 
• Establish a new independent Office of the City Controller as the single arbiter of truth related to city budget and finances with the authority to vet legislation for financial impacts before introduction and force councilmembers to balance the budget and cut expenditures if revenues fall short.
• Overhaul our contracting and payment processes so that contracts are awarded ethically, timely and efficiently, and local vendors are paid on time.

5. Strengthen Oakland’s economy and small businesses

Oakland’s businesses are the city’s heart and soul, but rising crime, blight and excessive fees are forcing many to close or never open. At the same time, many established businesses headquartered in Oakland have left, shifting thousands of jobs out of the city. To keep Oakland’s economy strong, we need to foster a thriving business environment and attract new industries to our city.

Action plan:

• Set businesses up for success by cutting red tape, offering operational relief, and auditing the impact of business taxes on Oakland’s economy, jobs, and revenue.
• Revitalize empty storefronts, install parklets, hold street festivals, and deploy ambassadors to boost the liveliness and safety of our business districts.
• Dedicate staff and resources to recruit businesses to bring their jobs and tax dollars to Oakland through dedicated support and outreach. 

6. Clean up blight and improve street safety  

Oakland needs a reliable, frequent transportation system to drive economic growth and mobility. Communities are calling for safer street designs to reduce reckless driving and sideshows, and for potholes to be fixed quickly. Meanwhile, illegal dumping remains rampant, creating unsanitary conditions and draining millions from the city’s budget. With little enforcement, dumpers go unpunished, leaving residents to deal with the mess. We need our government to stop ignoring these issues that are eroding Oakland’s quality of life.

Action plan:

• Expand bulk pickup services, planting trees or otherwise blocking off known dumping hotspots, and strictly enforcing dumping laws.
• Launch a quick-build program at OakDOT to rapidly implement low-cost street designs that reduce reckless driving and deter sideshows.
• Solve contracting challenges to fix potholes and pave streets rapidly and without delay. 

7. Foster high-quality public schools  

Our public schools need urgent attention. We must invest in quality education that spans everything from job training programs to advanced coursework, while addressing the broken business practices and dysfunctional culture within OUSD that have led to its financial instability. The school board needs to refocus on practical solutions, not ideology, and prioritize boosting math and literacy skills. If we want Oakland to be a place where families can stay, thrive, and succeed, we must deliver high-quality public schools.

Action plan:

• Elect school board leaders who are pragmatic and willing to make tough decisions about the future of OUSD given financial realities. 
• Implement best practices in financial management, budgeting, and oversight, while increasing accountability for schools failing to meet grade-level proficiency.
• Offer career training as well as advanced academic courses to prepare all students for future success, and to enable OUSD to be competitive with other local school districts and private schools that provide more advanced opportunities.