Natalie Orenstein, The Oaklandside

Natalie Orenstein

The Oaklandside

California, United States

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Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • The Oaklandside
  • Berkeleyside

Past articles by Natalie:

Mayor asks more Oakland landlords to rent to Section 8 tenants

Oakland recently received 500 new Housing Choice Vouchers, but tenants who receive them often struggle to find a property they can rent. → Read More

‘Food is love’: After closing its winter homeless shelter, Oakland’s St. Mary’s Center tried something new

The West Oakland organization hopes its emergency services can still lead to more homeless people getting a hot meal and housing. → Read More

Alameda County decides not to count homeless population this year

COVID-19 risks have prompted a year-long delay in the point-in-time homeless count, a “crucial data source.” → Read More

Alameda County health workers speak to vaccine fears

First in line, these Alameda County healthcare workers explain why they're saying yes to getting the vaccine. → Read More

Clean water is elusive for for those living in homeless encampments.

Some say they’ve found a solution. They want the local water district to provide them with tools to access and filter water from hydrants. → Read More

Oakland unanimously votes to ban gas stoves in new buildings

The law requires only electric infrastructure and appliances in newly built homes, restaurant and shop buildings, and offices. → Read More

Funds for Alameda County’s COVID-19 hotel shelters are dwindling

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced new funds for the hotel shelters that are part of Project Roomkey, but it’s unclear how far it will go. → Read More

From the archives: How did Kamala Harris’ Berkeley roots shape her?

From the archives: How did Kamala Harris’ Berkeley roots shape her? Long before she was the vice president-elect, Kamala Harris was a resident of the Berkeley flats and a student at Thousand Oaks. → Read More

Berkeley nonprofit puts finishing touches to colorful ‘tiny house village’ for youth in Oakland

It’s been a long road for Berkeley's Youth Spirit Artworks project, which could house 22 homeless youth starting in the fall. → Read More

Homeless in Oakland, Berkeley, or Emeryville? Caltrans may owe you.

A lawsuit settlement says CA’s Transportation Department must reimburse homeless people after taking and destroying their stuff. Here’s how to file a claim. → Read More

East Bay teens talk pandemic, protests and the people in their lives

Oakland and Berkeley teens talk candidly about how their relationships have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and recent protests. → Read More

Community leaders, including some doctors, say Alameda County might be reopening too fast —

“We’re watching a future disparity in the making,” said one doctor pushing for more transparency. → Read More

Oakland's old Lake Merritt Lodge will become a COVID-19 homeless shelter —

Advocates hope Alameda County will buy other empty buildings to become housing for unsheltered Oaklanders, too. → Read More

Advocates push back on plan to spend parks and homeless services funds on Oakland police —

The decision on how to spend Measure Q funds comes as activists are calling on local governments to “defund the police.” → Read More

BUSD prepares for 'distance learning' in fall, creating child care concerns for some families —

The Berkeley School Board on Wednesday approved a general planning framework as the district gets ready for 2020-21. → Read More

Inside an inside joke: Berkeley High students share news, laughs and camaraderie through memes —

Where IS Sam Pasarow? → Read More

Inside an inside joke: Berkeley High students share news, laughs and camaraderie through memes —

Where IS Sam Pasarow? → Read More

Berkeley bans all evictions during crisis, giving some tenants a year to pay back rent —

The new "urgency ordinance" immediately expands Berkeley's eviction moratorium, matching county rules. → Read More

School notebook: Gigantic budget cuts, principal turnover, mural gets a mask —

Berkeley school news — in brief. → Read More

From translation to meals, these groups are pushing for better outreach to Latinx community during crises —

In Alameda County, Latinx residents are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Community groups say information and resources could be more accessible. → Read More