#East12thMovement: Restoring East 12th Street: A Bold Stand Against Neglect

For Immediate Release on May 12,2025: Urban Compassion Project to Support Encampment Residents, Provide Oversight During City’s East 12th Encampment Closure

UCP is taking action. This is about community. It’s about Oakland. It’s about people rising up to clean, heal, and reclaim what’s been left behind. Urban Compassion Project (UCP) has teamed up with the real Hiero Day and the RealHieroCrew to fight illegal dumping and support homeless folks—starting with a 2.4-mile stretch of East 12th Street that’s been treated like a dumping ground for years. We’re doing it ourselves, every week, every block, every ton of trash.

For years, East 12th Street in Oakland has been buried beneath the weight of illegal dumping, city neglect, and systemic failure. But we’re changing that.

The Problem:

Illegal dumping thrives where the system fails. With Oakland’s exorbitant dump fees, businesses and individuals avoid the cost — instead, dumping directly onto homeless encampments. This isn’t just environmental negligence. It’s exploitation. It’s injustice.

A Vicious Cycle:

Homeless individuals, local businesses, and sheltered residents all suffer. Crime festers. Prostitution persists. The cycle of poverty, neglect, and pollution deepens.

Our Solution: Sustainable and Human-Centered
We’ve launched the Homeless Ambassador Program, a first-of-its-kind initiative that employs and empowers the very individuals most affected. Ambassadors receive stipends, tools, and training to help maintain the cleaned areas and report illegal dumping.

This is more than cleanup. It’s purpose. It’s dignity. It’s COMPASSION.

Our Impact So Far:

  • 10 Cleanups so far
  • 127 tons of trash removed from East 12th Street & 15th Avenue Through East 12th Street & 46th Avenue
  • 8 homeless ambassadors hired and trained
  • 424 volunteers mobilized to take back the streets
  • $32,000+ invested in equipment, supplies, and direct community support

Media Coverage:

Support the Movement: #East12thMovement is UCP’s latest and most ambitious project: reclaiming East 12th Street from blight and neglect. Just in 2025, we’ve already cleared over 120 tons of trash from this corridor. We created the Homeless Ambassador Program, hiring and supporting people directly impacted by homelessness and dumping to maintain and protect these areas long-term. We have 7 ambassadors proudly holding it down. UCP does not obtain any financial or equipment support from the city. We are funded by the community.

Together, we can transform the streets, minds, and hearts of Oakland. We CAN and HAVE the ability to clean up all of Oakland and the Bay Area. This summer is perfect opportunity to keep the momentum going with #east12thstreet while showcasing the broader systemic issues that plague Oakland. The movement would culminate in Hiero Day on Labor Day Weekend. Hiero Day is an annual hip-hop festival held in Oakland, California, celebrating the legacy of the legendary hip-hop group Hieroglyphics. It’s a vibrant event showcasing local talent, culture, and community and a true testament to Oakland’s spirit of unity, creativity, and grassroots pride. Hiero Day is back for its 11th annual celebration this Labor Day in Oakland, California. Hiero Day Weekend  kicks off Thursday, August 28. Monday, September 1, 2025 is HIERO DAY! 

Here’s How to Take Action Today!