365 Days of Action and Results

"In my first 365 Days of Action, I’ve moved with urgency to engage the public with the challenges facing our City and we’ve worked together to get things done. Thank you, Oakland!” – Mayor Barbara Lee

SELECTED RESULTS & PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT 4 YEARS

Addressing Oakland’s homeless crisis

  • Established the Office of Homelessness Solutions with a 5-year goal to cut unsheltered homelessness in half. 1,600 affordable housing units in construction or breaking ground in 2026, including 800 homeless units. 

  • Broke ground on 267 units of affordable housing (180 set aside for people leaving homelessness) on International Boulevard, 34th & San Pablo, the Maya, and Mark Twain; conducted grand openings of affordable housing at Brookfield Senior Housing, Covenant House, and Friendly Manor.

Priority: Invest in effective solutions that prevent homelessness before it starts. Connect people to services, clean up encampments, provide emergency shelter, and build even more affordable housing.

“Keep the Town Clean” Initiative and City Volunteer Initiatives Since May 2025

  • Launched “Keep The Town Clean” initiative mobilizing 10,000 volunteers. Removed over 6,600 tons of trash/debris from streets/ encampments, and 145 tons near schools/businesses.

  • Illegal dumping closure time was cut from 26 days to 5.5 days.

  • Secured the largest Cal Recycles grant in California (half million dollars) to remove trash in low-income neighborhoods.

Priority: Make sure neighborhoods hit hardest by illegal dumping get the focused attention and long-term solutions they deserve.

Protecting Oakland’s Fire Safety and Emergency Preparedness

  • Kept all fire stations open and operational.

  • Cleared brush from 1,300+ hard to reach, high-risk acres with goats. Upgraded safety along Skyline Boulevard and removed dead trees in Joaquin Miller Park.

  • Secured $1,500,000 CAL FIRE grant and expanded coverage to East Oakland hills.

Priority: Escalate cross-department wildfire operations and maintain open, operational fire stations.

Making Oakland Safer

  • Homicides hit a 58-year low in 2025 (fewest since 1967); homicides/shootings down 49% since 2023. Thanks to Operation Ceasefire, violent crime is down 22% and homicides are down 39% as of April 2026. Robberies are down 23% and burglaries are down 24%.

  • California Attorney General Rob Bonta cited Oakland as a national model for community-based gun violence reduction.

  • The City has invested in police academies, reducing sideshows, and the fight against human trafficking. 

Priority: Continue to advance a comprehensive, community-focused approach to public safety.

Strengthening Ethics, Government Reform and Accountability through Charter Reform

  • Established Mayor's Charter Reform Working Group co-chaired by Oakland League of Women Voters and SPUR to improve transparency, efficiency, and accountability in City government. 

  • Over 1,150 Oakland residents gave input in public meetings or submitted survey responses.

  • Conducted extensive research on governance models across the country.

Priority: Finalize/present a Charter Reform vision for voters to consider and act on.

Streamlining city processes and reducing bureaucracy for small businesses

  • Cut red tape in Downtown, Broadway Valdez, and Lake Merritt by fast-tracking permits.

  • Zoning clearance wait times reduced from 22 days to 9 days; ADU approvals, while doubling have been cut to 14 days; same day digital permit wait times were cut from 1 week to 20 minutes.

Priority: Expand same-day approvals ; fast-track retail buildouts to attract and retain businesses.

Advancing Oakland’s Vibrancy and Stability

  • Samuel Merritt University opened its downtown campus, with 2,500 students/staff adding vibrancy to Oakland’s core.

  • Kaiser Center for the Arts reopened and our City was recognized as the "#1 Food City in America".

  • Oakland approved 25% more Special Events Permits than in the previous year and hired a Cultural Affairs Manager to support arts and culture.

  • New businesses, employers, and financial institutions are choosing Oakland, strengthening the city’s economic base and supporting long-term job creation.

Priority: Continue to attract new investment, create jobs, and strengthen Oakland’s arts, culture, entertainment, and events as core parts of a vibrant quality of life.

Protecting all of our communities from federal enforcement

  • Established a citywide Task Force to coordinate City response across all departments, provide Know Your Rights resources; signed an Executive Order reinforcing that OPD will not act at the direction of the National Guard or federal authorities if troops are deployed to Oakland.

  • Prohibited the use of any City property as a staging area, processing location, or operations base for federal immigration enforcement operations, unless required by law, requiring clear signage, staff reporting of violations, and no city participation in immigration enforcement activities.

Priority: Protect Oaklanders from illegal persecution and infringements on civil rights.

Our Future, Our Youth!

  • Reopened Mosswood Recreation Center on May 2nd after nearly a decade of being closed.

  • Expanded the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program for 1,050 young Oaklanders.

  • Secured funding to restore OPD Cadets – giving young adults a path into public safety careers. 

Priority: Continue to invest in and expand programs serving Oakland youth.

City Operations and Accountability

  • Identified top tier City contracts for audit/accountability reforms with elected City Auditor.

  • Launched citywide Data Governance and Security Program, establishing clear rules for how City data is collected, stored, and protected. Initiated study of a responsible, citywide AI policy.

  • Examining ways to improve work order tracking and closure rates, making it easier to see/track whether reported problems are actually getting fixed through 311.

Priority: Standardize processes and close gaps that have slowed service delivery/accountability.