​Are you new to Oakland? Welcome! As you’ve probably already noticed, Oakland is a special place. But like all new places, it takes some time to get your bearings.To help ease your transition, Family Friendly Oakland has gathered the inside scoop from neighborhood leaders to create this welcome guide that includes important things you need to know, along with some tips to help you become a more engaged steward of our City. This is not an official City document, nor is it comprehensive in every way. But in lieu of a warm casserole delivered to your door, this is our neighborly effort to help you get in the Oakland groove.  

If you’ve just moved here and aren’t sure where to start, check out these links to help you get set up and on your way to becoming an official resident of Oakland.

• Enroll your students or get information onlocal childcare resources
• Are you a new business? Get assistance , get a license
• Wondering if you qualify for medical, food, and cash assistance programs? Find out and apply online.
• Renting? Know your Oakland rights.
• Just bought an investment property? Join EBRHA and learn the Oakland laws. 
  • Signup for the Rent Adjustment Program and get your business license.  Attend a tenant and landlord informational meeting. 
• Turn on the lights - Contact PG&E
• Get your garbage, recycling and compost carts
  • For stuff left over from the move and donations of salvageable goods, check out DonateOakland.org
  • Before you throw any thing away, check StopWaste.org for recycling and reuse information​
• Set up your water services account
• Get your dog license from the City
• Get a Library Card
  • Register for the Tool Library
  • Check out the Toy Lending Library
• Register to Vote ​
• Update your Driver's license and learn how to get around with this overview of  Oakland transit
  • ​Clipper Card and Signup for FasTrak​
  • Join Getaround to rent or share a car
  • Apply for a Residential Parking Permit  
  • Bookmark 511.org 
  • Get your Walk Oakland! map at a local Oakland bookstore
• Extra moving boxes?
  • ​Turn them into gardens by sharing them with local sheet mulchers. Post to the From Lawn to Garden Facebook page and donate your boxes
  • Post on Craigslist's free section
• Get the basics locally (shower curtains, sponges, toilet brushes, dish racks, housewares etc..) at ​KP Asian Market (Housewares annex), Cole Hardware Rockridge, or Grand Lake Ace Hardware. Head to Jack London Square to stock up at Markus Supply Ace, Bed Bath and Beyond, Cost Plus and nearby Smart and Final in Old Oakland or Chanco Housewares in Chinatown. 

Here are some tips to keep you safe and strategies to help you better respond in an emergency.

If you dial 9-1-1 on a cell phone in Oakland, your call will be received by the California Highway Patrol at the Vallejo Dispatch Center. This center responds to cell phone 9-1-1 calls from nine Bay Area counties. There will be a  delay before your call can be forwarded to the Emergency Call Center. ​If you see a crime in progress, and are calling on a landline, call 9-1-1. If calling from a cell phone within Oakland, call 510-777-3211 (Oakland Emergency). To report a crime after the fact or to report suspicious activity that is not life-threatening, call the non-emergency number 510-777-3333 (Oakland Non-Emergency)​.  ​

• Sign up for Nixle alerts  for urgent text and email updates from the Oakland Police Department (and others). 
• Review Oakland Safety Tips from the Oakland Police Department and learn how to report crimes in Oakland (including dumping, online reporting and how to respond depending on the incident type) 
• Find out if your neighborhood has a CORE committee and join their lists. Eventually, you can get CORE trained to help you, your family and neighbors respond in an emergency
• Join (or start) an Oakland Neighborhood Watch group
• Print out these Helpful Phone Numbers at the City of Oakland (pdf)    
• Bookmark these Helpful links and resources for Residents​ 
• Make sure your home is safe and your household is prepared for an earthquake, and in particular, The Big One. 
• If you live in an apartment, homeowner or condo association, make sure you have the manager's emergency and non-emergency number handy and understand the emergency procedures. 

How long does it take to find hints of housing discrimination against families online?
​Less than one minute.  

April is Fair Housing Month, in recognition of the Fair Housing Act, which bans discrimination against seven protected classes in housing practices. Buyers and renters have the right to housing, regardless of their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status or disability.

But what exactly does familial status mean? In a nutshell, landlords and sellers can't refuse to rent or sell to a household with children and they can't set alternate terms for leasing or selling. Doing so violates federal Fair Housing laws.

According to the National Fair Housing Alliance, "Familial status" means having a child under age 18 in the household, whether living with a parent, a legal custodian, or their designee. It also covers a woman who is pregnant, and people in the process of adopting or gaining custody of child/children.

Look for these signs of housing discrimination against families with children:

• Allowing only one child per bedroom
• Charging a higher security deposit for families with kids
• Limiting families with children to the first floor or certain buildings
• Refusing to rent to families with children ​

​
Why is Familial Status a protected class? According to HUD's recent press release kicking off the month:

"Every type of discrimination robs individuals and families of their right to choose where to live, but one form of discrimination HUD is particularly active in addressing is discrimination against families with children, known as familial status discrimination. Each year, approximately 12 percent of complaints are filed with HUD alleging this type of discrimination. State and local fair housing groups that partner with HUD in fighting discrimination also describe familial status discrimination as being one of their priority areas, as anecdotal evidence shows that it is often a proxy for race discrimination. In addition to the loss of housing, this type of discrimination has a destabilizing effect that prevents families from positioning themselves in ways that enable the next generation to take advantage of all this country has to offer."  

Learn more about Fair Housing at  www.hud.gov/fairhousing. Call HUD to report housing discrimination at 1-800-669-9777 or report online.