Oakland turns to shipping containers to tackle long-standing encampment issues

In an innovative move to address a persistent homelessness issue, the City of Oakland has partnered with a local business owner to erect a barrier of shipping containers at a property located at 4200 Alameda Ave., right next to the High Street Home Depot.

The project aims to resolve a years-long encampment problem that has plagued the area, despite numerous attempts to clear the land.

Workers began stacking the containers a few days ago. Jeff Alberto, the owner of Oakland Container Services, explained the plan to fortify the area.

"We're lining from the start of the freeway all the way down to the end of the street here. [Each shipping container is] 40 feet long, 8 feet wide, and about 6,000 pounds," Alberto said.