Howard University, a renowned institution, is considering expanding its presence to the city of Oakland, California, an area known for its challenges with crime.
A representative from this historically Black university, based in Washington, D.C., has confirmed ongoing discussions with Oakland’s Mayor, Barbara Lee, regarding this potential expansion.
“We have engaged in preliminary talks with Mayor Lee, but it is too early to comment on any real estate developments in Oakland,” a university spokesperson informed the San Francisco Chronicle.
Mayor Barbara Lee, who received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Howard University in May, has also confirmed her involvement in the initiative to establish a college campus in Oakland, which is currently ranked as the second-most dangerous city in the United States.
“I am actively leading discussions with Howard University and will continue to explore possibilities for their presence in Oakland,” Lee stated to the SF Chronicle.
Founded in 1867, Howard University is distinguished for its outstanding research capabilities and robust academic programs.
In 2023, Howard’s acceptance rate was 34.9 percent, with 68.8 percent of the student body identifying as black or African American.
The elite institution’s alumni include novelist Toni Morrison and former Vice President Kamala Harris, who happens to be an Oakland native.
The prestigious Howard University was established in 1867 and is located in Washington, DC
Oakland, California has become plagued with crime (pictured: police investigating a January homicide in Oakland)
Homelessness has become a prominent issue in Oakland (pictured: a tent encampment in Oakland)
While neither the university nor Lee has elaborated on the progress or details of plans to expand to Oakland, real estate insiders told the SF Chronicle that Howard officials have toured numerous properties in the city’s downtown.
One property reportedly toured as a potential site for a satellite campus was the Trans Pacific Centre, a 374,898-square-foot office building in the heart of the depressed downtown.
A source told the outlet that Howard is looking for about 60,000 square feet of space, which equates to one floor of the mostly vacant building.
Howard University’s expected expansion to Oakland comes as the city battles high rates of crime and homelessness.
In 2024, the city had a violent crime rate of about 3,640 per 100,000 residents. The US recorded approximately 359 per 100,000 residents that same year.
Crime in Oakland is about 10 times the national average, but under Police Chief Floyd Mitchell’s leadership, it dropped 29 percent in the first half of 2025.
But Mitchell, who was appointed in March 2024, abruptly resigned earlier this month.
Huy Nguyen, the president of the Oakland police union, reacted: ‘His departure represents another chapter in a troubling pattern of instability at the highest levels of city government and the Oakland Police Department.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris attended Howard University
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee has launched an initiative to tackle crime in the city
Just before Mitchell resigned, Lee – a firebrand progressive – had rolled out a shockingly stern plan to revive the battered city.
She announced she will be ramping up police recruitment, clearing homeless encampments, and slashing red tape to secure federal money, all in a bid to reverse years of violent crime, urban decay and political chaos.
Despite these efforts, crime has continued to wreak havoc on the city of roughly 438,000 residents.
Just less than two weeks ago, an Oakland neighborhood was rocked by a series of vandalism incidents, in which a man hurled large rocks through the windows of homes and cars.
In another alarming incident, troubled former NFL running back Doug Martin died last Saturday in police custody after being apprehended by cops who were responding to reports of a break-in at a home in East Oakland.
The officers are said to have had a ‘brief struggle’ with the suspected burglar, who became unresponsive after being taken into custody.
He was given treatment at the scene before being transported to the hospital, where he later died.
