In the News | Oaklandside reports city to clear homeless encampments around Lake Merritt in April

Julie Reichle

A fire at a Lake Merritt homeless encampment in June 2022 visible from the Piedmont hills.

Oaklandside’s Natalie Orenstein reported on March 25 that the city of Oakland was planning to spend April clearing homeless camps around Lake Merritt:

Bright pink notices went up last week on telephone polls, declaring “all parks, city assets and walkways” around the lake uninhabitable and ordering people living in tents and cars there to leave.

Some of the camp closures, at Peralta Park on either side of the Lake Merritt Channel, were scheduled in anticipation of a fencing and tree-planting project, according to the city. The entire park will be closed until the fall, said Oakland spokesperson Jean Walsh.

The work is required by regional and state water quality agencies, Walsh said in an email. “This…project protects water quality, improves habitat for wildlife and provides enhanced opportunities for active and passive recreational activities.”The  Lake Merritt Channel connects the lake to the Oakland estuary and the San Francisco Bay.

“Oakland will remove all Lake Merritt homeless camps in April”, Oaklandside, March 25, 2025

Read the Oaklandside story HERE

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