A group of city employees removed approximately six hand-built wooden shacks belonging to the homeless along East 12th Street and 16th Avenue in Oakland on Wednesday. The structures were quickly demolished and mounds of debris were cleared and placed into two large garbage trucks. A pair of Oakland police officers observed, and none of the camp inhabitants were seen. City notices warning of the sweep were posted along the nearby sidewalk.

The large grassy median area is close to BART, Interstate 880 and commercial businesses. It’s not known how long the structures have been there, but they appear to be part of an increasing homeless population in the city.

On Monday, at a homeless encampment near the Emeryville border at 35th and Magnolia Streets, city employees cleared debris, power washed the area and installed portable toilets. This was part of the new “Compassionate Communities” program by City Council President Lynette Gibson McElhaney and Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson. The city hopes to find people transitional housing and eventually clear the camps.