Former Wood Street resident talks about finding new home as cleanup continues
OAKLAND – The full-scale clearing out of Oakland's largest homeless camp just wrapped up its fourth day.
Caltrans is moving some 200 people out of the Wood Street encampment, which stretches for nearly three-quarters of a mile along Interstate 880.
The city said about 45 people have accepted some kind of help - shelter or a place for their RV. So where are they ending up, and how are they doing? KPIX 5 caught up with one of them at work.
"My first job was working on a soundstage when I was like five years old," said Ron McGowan, who was working on a truss assembly ahead of a corporate event.
McGowan has been a stagehand almost his entire life, and it was paying the rent, until COVID.
"During the pandemic we were the first ones to get hit," he recalled. "A lot of other industries could pivot. You could not pivot as a stagehand."
He took the money he had and put his belongings in storage. With nowhere else to go, he ended up at Wood Street.
"On and off for two years," he said of his time in the encampment. "It has definitely been traumatic over there."
Now, he's one of those who have been moved into housing as Wood Street gets cleaned out.
"The city found me a spot at The Holland," McGowan said.
The Holland is a rapid re-housing facility opened by the city of Oakland in 2019.
McGowan says he's grateful for the shelter, but it does come with some cost.
"I'm kind of concerned that they want 30% of my gross," McGowan explained. "I got a shared room. Not even my own bathroom. That's a lot for that. I don't know. It doesn't feel like it's a great fit, but what can I do? I'm stuck there for the time being."
So he's sticking with it, thinking about his next housing option, and continuing to work.
"All we can do is just keep on moving forward," he said.
At Wood Street, the cleanup continues with a wave of manpower. Caltrans said the work will continue in two week phases and wrap up before November.
