Alastair Boone

4 days ago | kalw.org | Alastair Boone

It has been almost one year since the Grants Pass ruling in the Supreme Court, which effectively gave American cities more leeway to crack down on homeless encampments. During that time, encampment sweeps have increased by more than 600 percent in Oakland. So what’s changed in the Bay Area since last summer? KALW’s Homelessness reporter Alastair Boone takes us to a recent sweep around Lake Merritt in Oakland to look at how the city’s encampment management strategy has changed.

2 weeks ago | thestreetspirit.org | Alastair Boone

I was 7 years old when I first remember seeing his tall slender frame as he ducked his head to enter my grandparents’ living room. Here was this handsome, well-dressed man, with his hair pulled back into a slick ponytail, calling me “baby girl.” It was the first time I remember seeing him, and I had no photos of him, but as soon as I saw him, I just knew.

1 month ago | kalw.org | Alastair Boone

This story aired in the May 29, 2025 episode of Crosscurrents. Lots of unhoused people carry “street names”: Monikers they choose, or are assigned by siblings, classmates, or their “street family” of other unhoused people. Many of these nicknames have a specific story or purpose. And while the concept of a street name is sometimes associated with crime or violence, they can also be about safety, self-esteem, and identity.

1 month ago | kalw.org | Alastair Boone

This story and interview aired in the May 21, 2025 episode of Crosscurrents. For unhoused people, the courts are one of the more powerful tools available to challenge encampment sweeps and the laws that criminalize homelessness. But legal resources for unhoused folks are facing new challenges at a time when the state’s encampment crackdown is only escalating. In May, Governor Gavin Newsom asked California cities to ban homeless encampments altogether.

1 month ago | kalw.org | Alastair Boone

This story aired in the May 12, 2025 episode of Crosscurrents. The Albany bulb is a beloved fixture of the East Bay shoreline. People visit for kite flying, dog walking and the culture of renegade art making. But if you roll back the decades and dig below the topsoil, you will find the story of a community that made the bulb a home while planting the seeds of creativity that continue to grow there. Today, we go out to the bulb with some former inhabitants to hear their story.