Oakland will begin towing RVs at encampment near 75th and Hawley Street

By CBS Bay Area

Change is coming to an RV encampment at 75th Avenue and Hawley Street in Oakland. The city has posted notices warning residents that RVs parked along the block will be removed starting this week.

For people living in the vehicles, the impending sweep brings uncertainty about where they will go next.

“It’s frustrating, to tell you the truth,” said Tim Doyle, who has lived at the Hawley encampment for about a year. “And I don’t want to be homeless, but I am, you know what I mean?”

Doyle said he moved to the location after being swept from another Oakland RV encampment last year. Now, with another removal looming, he is once again facing questions about where he can go.

“Where am I going to park it now? Where am I going to go?” Doyle said. “That’s just the reality.”

Derrick Soo, who operates an encampment a few blocks away and has lived there for 12 years, said the situation at 75th and Hawley has affected nearby businesses.

“The party center over there and the auto body shop have lost all of their parking for their customers,” Soo said.

While Soo said changes were needed at the Hawley encampment, he also questioned how the city handles people living in RVs and trailers.

“But the city needs to do a better job at how they handle the homeless, especially people trapped in their RV or trailer,” Soo said.

The planned removal comes as Oakland has stepped up efforts in recent months to clear several established RV encampments across the city. The site at 75th and Hawley appears to be next.

But whether clearing the block will address the broader challenges surrounding homelessness and RV encampments remains an open question. Doyle said he plans to keep moving if he can avoid having his RV towed.

“I’m going to get in this thing, drive it down the street, and I’m going to pull over,” he said.

The city’s public information officer was contacted for additional details about the planned operation and what will happen to residents whose RVs are towed. No response was received before the story aired.

According to the city’s posted notice, outreach teams will offer available shelter before or during the operation.