So California has a serious homelessness problem. One local California official believes she might have an idea of how to alleviate the issue. Use cruise ships.
Oakland City Council President Rebecca Kaplan says she got the idea after reading about how people displaced by hurricanes have turned to cruise ships as a temporary shelter. She thinks that if cruise ships could be used as emergency housing in natural disasters, maybe they could be used to help in Oakland’s emergency, which is homelessness.
A housing crisis in the Bay Area has resulted in a surge of tent encampments across city sidewalks, under freeway overhangs and in public parks. By the latest count, more than 4,000 people are experiencing homelessness in the city of just over 400,000, up 47% in just two years.
After Kaplan floated the cruise ship idea, it didn’t take long for word to spread and she's been contacted by cruise ship companies. She's now planning to present a full-fledged proposal, that could add up to 1,000 on-board beds, to the council early next year.
For more on this story check out today's bonus segment with Len Berman and Michael Riedel...