Oakland’s iconic California Hotel, vital housing for the formerly homeless, is in turmoil

Oakland’s iconic California Hotel, vital housing for the formerly homeless, is in turmoil

The California Hotel in Oakland, one of the East Bay’s most recognizable landmarks, has seen better days. Most know the historic building in West Oakland by its enormous rooftop sign, which looms over Interstate 580 and is passed by 160,000 drivers daily. The century-old hotel is famous for its Spanish colonial revival design, and longtime denizens still proudly reference its history as a mecca of Black music after World War II, when the likes o…