California’s temperate weather is one reason why homelessness is so visible. But with climate change, warmer and wetter weather are making the emergency on the streets even more dire.
At what remains of the Wood Street encampment in West Oakland, people without shelter are experiencing flooding and a fight to stay warm amid a series of atmospheric rivers hitting the Bay Area in recent weeks. Residents of Wood Street say the services the city is offering doesn’t meet their needs.
But it’s not just the threat of another rainstorm looming over the encampment; the city has plans to evict those remaining at Wood Street once and for all.
Guest: Erin Baldassari, Housing Affordability Reporter for KQED