By Peter Hegarty, East Bay Times, July 21, 2021
“Building a village of 20 cabins on a city-owned lot next to the College of Alameda’s track field is one of several options the City Council is exploring as part of an effort to get roofs over the heads of people living on the streets or in their vehicles.
“Another option is to buy and convert the Marina Village Inn along the Oakland Estuary to permanent supportive housing, with kitchenettes added to each room and some rooms combined to accommodate families.
“The council took no formal action on [July 20] but directed staff to return in the fall with more details regarding the cabins and Marina Village Inn.
‘We should not miss this rare opportunity to do something bold,’ Councilman Tony Daysog said about renovating the Marina Village Inn, which has 51 rooms in three buildings.
“Funding for the projects could come from multiple sources, including state grants, the city’s Housing Authority, and the $28 million that Alameda is receiving from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for COVID-19 recovery efforts, said Lisa Maxwell, the city’s community development director.
“Other ideas presented to the council to help house the homeless included constructing a building of 40 studios and buying one or more large houses to convert to shared living spaces with bathrooms in each bedroom.
“ ‘There is a significant need and we all know that is not going to go away anytime soon,’ Vice Mayor Malia Vella said.”
Read the full article here. (~3 min.)