Homeless Oaklanders were tired of the housing crisis. So they built a village
As nice as these structures are, and as much as I appreciate the skills it takes to roll up your sleeves and build something like this, ultimately it is an illegal annexation of public land that belongs to the taxpayers and has other intended uses (even if that use is just greenspace or empty land). The act of building on this land is a crime, and should not be allowed. The West Coast cities need to enforce the law and protect the interests of actual residents, who legally reside in those cities and pay their fair share of taxes.<p>As for the vagrants in these encampments - my experience has been that most are not locals, despite what surveys say, because the surveys always rely on volunteered answers about origins, rather than proven identity. Regardless, everyone must show personal responsibility and people need to realize they are not entitled to a life in the most attractive and expensive locations on the planet. There are TONS of open jobs across the country and lots of places that are great to live in and affordable. They don&#x27;t have the same &#x27;brand&#x27; as the Bay Area or other West Coast locations, but as the saying goes, beggars can&#x27;t be choosers. What I do think we can band together to provide is a service that matches those in need with jobs in other locations, along with bridge funding to move locations and get settled in.