美国国家公共电台 NPR--Oakland offers temporary housing to camp residents, but many are reluctant to leave

Oakland offers temporary housing to camp residents, but many are reluctant to leave

Transcript¹

What was once Northern California's largest homeless camp is down to its last residents. The city of Oakland is offering temporary housing, but those being moved worry about losing what they have.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

The city of Oakland is in the process of removing the last remaining residents from what was once considered Northern California's largest homeless encampment. KQED's Erin Baldassari reports.

ERIN BALDASSARI, BYLINE²: At its height, the settlement of unhoused people at Wood Street in West Oakland stretched for more than a mile, with RVs and trailers and makeshift homes tucked underneath³ a freeway overpass⁴, home to more than 300 people. Over time, people living there built it into a resource hub with a community kitchen, a free store, meeting spaces and storage facilities.

MAHNAZ SABERI: It's all just a crushed dream now.

BALDASSARI: Mahnaz Saberi lived there for more than five years.

SABERI: And I don't know - I don't know. None of us know where we're going to be going. And it's almost like, what's the use? Because they're just going to come and clear out that spot, too.

BALDASSARI: California's Department of Transportation cleared out the bulk of residents back in September. Now the city of Oakland is removing the 60 or so folks who remain. That's in part due to growing complaints from area business owners and neighbors. Kathy Kuhner lives not far from the Wood Street settlement in West Oakland. She's watched the unhoused community here grow. But like a lot of people, she isn't sure what the solution is.

KATHY KUHNER: I think we're a wealthy-enough country that we can take care of people who don't have homes. But I don't think we can allow them to be in the streets, the parks or on public or private property.

BALDASSARI: The city has long planned to redevelop the lot into affordable⁵ housing, with 170 condos and apartments. It got $8 million to relocate residents to a temporary shelter made up of tiny cabins. But for residents like LaMonte Ford⁶, who lives in a trailer, going there means giving that up and getting rid of most of his belongings⁷.

LAMONTE FORD: I've been here 10 years. You think I can pack it up in two bags? I can't. I can't even think about packing it up in two bags.

BALDASSARI: And if he goes into the tiny cabins, he says there's no guarantee he'll get into permanent housing. A city audit⁸ found fewer than a third of the people who go into this program got long-term homes.

For NPR News, I'm Erin Baldassari.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

4 overpass   

n.天桥，立交桥

参考例句：

• I walked through an overpass over the road.我步行穿过那条公路上面的立交桥。
• We should take the overpass when crossing the road.我们过马路应走天桥。

5 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

6 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

7 belongings   

n.私人物品，私人财物

参考例句：

• I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
• Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。

8 audit   

v.审计；查帐；核对；旁听

参考例句：

• Each year they audit our accounts and certify them as being true and fair.他们每年对我们进行账务审核，以确保其真实无误。
• As usual,the yearly audit will take place in December.跟往常一样，年度审计将在十二月份进行。