Clean Streets: Illegal Dumping and Encampments
City: Oakland, California
Reporting to: Chief of Staff
The Challenge
Oakland faces two related and persistent challenges. One is a large number of homeless encampments. The city’s latest Point-in-Time Count found 5,500 residents experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2024. That was a record high, and two thirds of the individuals identified were living unsheltered. The second challenge is trash near encampments. Part of that problem is a result of people living outdoors in unsanitary conditions, but the issue is also driven by the large amount of illegal dumping that takes place near encampments.
Reducing homelessness and ensuring that streets are safe and clean are top priorities for Mayor Barbare Lee. She has created a new Office of Homelessness Solutions to boost coordination of services, and is set to launch a new Homelessness Strategic Action Plan in February 2026 outlining steps to scale up prevention, supportive housing, temporary shelter options, and outreach. The city conducts regular trash clean-ups at known encampments and has closed down several camping sites. Additionally, the Department of Public Works is stepping up efforts to clean up and prevent illegal dumping, including at sites near encampments. The city is also developing a pilot modeled after the GLITTER program in Portland, Oregon, that pays unhoused individuals stipends for cleaning up encampments.
City leaders hope to better understand the intersection of these issues of homeless encampments and illegal dumping. Research on the causes, impacts, and solutions will advance implementation of the new Homelessness Strategic Action Plan and inform the city’s strategies for keeping streets clean and safe.
Key questions include:
- Where is illegal dumping happening near encampments and how widespread is the problem?
- How are illegal dumping and unsheltered homelessness related?
- What are the public health effects of concentrated unsheltered homelessness near areas where illegal dumping is occurring?
- How have other cities addressed illegal dumping near homeless encampments?
- What potential solutions should Oakland consider?
What You’ll Do
The fellow will conduct research on the causes of illegal dumping near homeless encampments, health impacts, and ideas for keeping encampments sanitary. This will require engaging multiple stakeholders in and out of City Hall. Internally, the fellow will engage with department directors and staff in the Departments of Homelessness Solutions, Public Works, Transportation, Police, and Housing and Community Development. External stakeholders include colleagues at Alameda County, community organizations, and small businesses.
Key deliverables include:
- A research report on the extent and public health impacts of illegal dumping in proximity to encampments.
- An assessment of how other cities have handled illegal dumping near homeless encampments and what lessons Oakland can learn from them.
- Proposals for cross-departmental, intergovernmental, and cross-sector partnerships that can help solve the problem of illegal dumping near encampments.
- A framework for piloting an approach to cleaning up trash near homeless encampments that can act as workforce development for unhoused individuals.
- A presentation for senior executives outlining the research, assessment, proposals, and framework detailed above.
What You’ll Bring
The fellow will be expected to possess the following skills:
- Data Analysis
- Design Thinking
- Mapping (GIS)
- Qualitative Interviewing and Analysis
- Policy Analysis
