We’ve seen a surge of encampment sweeps in the East Bay in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s April 2024 Grants Pass decision, a ruling which allows local and state governments to evict and criminalize people for camping in public even if they have nowhere else to go. In the last week alone, the City of Oakland forcibly displaced a long-standing unhoused community of primarily disabled elders at Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Grand Avenue in Oakland. The City of Oakland carries out evictions every weekday and the City of Berkeley has indicated that they will begin regular sweeps this week. During these sweeps, the city routinely destroys residents’ belongings, including tents, wheelchairs and other mobility devices, blankets, clothing, and sentimental items.

In response to the violence of these sweeps and the needs of our unhoused neighbors, Center for Independent Living is launching a fundraising campaign to serve the underserved. Help us raise $5,000 to fund the cost of storage units for people who are houseless, elderly, and disabled. With medium-size storage units averaging $125/month, we hope to use these funds to support 6-8 individuals/households to store their belongings for up to 6 months, with flexibility to pay for more or less time if need be. With the support of our incredible communities, we can come together to pay for these storage units, which are a vital resource–especially during the violence and crisis of an eviction–that are difficult to find funding for anywhere else. This fundraising ask sprung directly from urgent requests by displaced residents of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Grand Avenue in Oakland, many of whom are Black, disabled elders. 

To help, visit our donation page and put “Encampment Sweeps” in the donation note. Every dollar makes a difference!

All funds raised as part of this fundraiser will go to storage unit costs for unhoused people with disabilities and older adults. 

We also urge everyone to donate to the incredible on-the-ground organizations/grassroots groups purchasing tents, tarps, sleeping bags, clothing, and other urgent needs for our unhoused neighbors who have lost their belongings due to this–and other–sweeps. 

• Donate to Love and Justice in the Streets at @love-and-justice on Venmo 
• Donate to Peoples Programs at @Peoples-Programs on Venmo or CashApp $PeoplesPrograms 
• Where Do We Go Berkeley’s Unhoused Contingency Fund at 
• For important updates and information on how to tap in to support unhoused residents before and during encampment sweeps, follow these organizers and groups: 

Where Do We Go Berkeley – @wheredowegoberkeley

People’s Programs – @peoplesprograms 

Love and Justice in the Streets – @loveandjusticeinthestreets 

Poverty Skola – @povertyskola 

West Oakland Punks with Lunch @west.oakland.punks.with.lunch