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Oakland councilwoman proposes converting cruise ships into homeless housing

Just Floating an Idea

Oakland councilwoman proposes converting cruise ships into homeless housing

Given an upcoming emission regulation, certain cruise ships may be better served as permanently-docked homeless housing rather than as vehicles of leisure. (Achille/Wikipedia Commons)

During a presentation at a committee meeting on December 5, Oakland City Council president Rebecca Kaplan presented a doubtlessly provocative plan to partially resolve one of the California Bay Area’s most significant political crises. One strategy for housing a thousand members of the region’s homeless population, Kaplan suggested, would be to repurpose a disused cruise ship and keep it close to the harbor. “I think it’s worth working on,” Kaplan opined, “to see if we can have an innovation to provide needed, urgent housing quickly and affordably.”

As ludicrous as the idea may have sounded to Kaplan’s audience members, it quickly gained traction with those in the industry. Two days after her presentation, an unidentified cruise ship company expressed interest in offering a number of ships for the cause. The opportunity might be attractive to a number of cruise ship companies in light of a looming emissions regulation imposed by the International Maritime Organization that is expected to take place next year. According to the new policy, a number of ships will not fail to qualify for engine upgrades and will therefore not be suitable as fully-functioning cruise ships. Unable to leave the docks, these ships could potentially serve a surprisingly altruistic purpose as they have in the past as emergency housing during Hurricane Dorian, Hurricane Katrina, and other natural disasters. Given the proven track record (though not for long-term housing), Kaplan expressed that she is “excited about the possibility to create more affordable housing quickly.”

The Port of Oakland, however, has stated that the plan could not work on its dock in light of current restrictions. The ports are designed for cargo ships, Port of Oakland spokesman Michael Zampa explained, and cannot reasonably accommodate cruise ships without significant alterations. When putting into perspective that the current homeless population in Oakland is currently over 4,000 with little sign of decreasing, a plan such as Kaplan’s might become a reality in the near future.


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