Oakland's Lack of Affordable Housing Declared 'Public Health Crisis'

There's a physical cost to rising rents, and Oakland residents are paying the price.

1 minute read

September 7, 2016, 10:00 AM PDT

By Elana Eden


Downtown Oakland

kropik1 / Shutterstock

Housing insecurity is behind an increase in hypertension, asthma, depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia in Oakland and surrounding cities, according to the Alameda County Public Health Department.

Between 2012 and 2014, Alameda County residents who spent 35 percent of their income on rent were twice as likely to be hospitalized for hypertension or mental illness as residents who spent less than 25 percent of their income on rent.

Children living in homes packed with 10 to 12 extra people were six times more likely to go to the emergency room for asthma than children living in homes that were not overcrowded.

A study conducted by the department and PolicyLink's Center for Infrastructure Equity identified several reasons for these "upticks."

High stress levels—caused, for instance, by the uncertainty of making rent any given month—can trigger or worsen a number of health problems, including those named in the study. Higher housing costs also mean less room in the budget for health- and medicine-related expenditures to treat or manage those problems.

And county employees reported that their clients are increasingly afraid to ask landlords to address hazardous conditions, like mold or mildew, for fear of increased rent or eviction.

In 2014, the county found that gentrification posed a health risk to low-income communities for similar reasons.

Thursday, September 1, 2016 in SFGate

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing

The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

1 hour ago - Strong Towns

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

2 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Green Skid Row mural satirizing city limit sign in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents

The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.

3 hours ago - Los Angeles Public Press