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Ken Houston

Councilmember, Oakland City Council

Raised homelessness and encampments at seven meetings, more than any other official we can identify. Named East Oakland 14 times, more than any other official.

17 of 20transcribed meetings with their voice identified
6.9min a meeting at the City Council, at least
82questions at the City Council
14 of 22present at roll calls, from the clerk

Also sits on 5 committees

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Seven clips, newest first

License-plate cameras (Flock)“I mean, they should be able to have drones that can fly in bad weather technology. We can go to the moon, come back, you know, do all this right along with the flock cameras, can’t they?”Ken HoustonCouncil member · Public Safety Committee · Jul 14, 2026 · 1:57:33Play at 1:57:33
Homelessness and encampments“I have relationships from the state, county, to the city. It’s already been put in place that if that city property was up and ready to be— take in individuals from their RVs, the county, the county would fund the person, the provider.”Ken HoustonMember · Rules and Legislation Committee · Jun 25, 2026 · 1:31:40Play at 1:31:40
“So on these change orders, is it time and material? Was that in their contract to be time and material?”Ken HoustonMember · Public Works and Transportation Committee · Sep 22, 2026 · 58:25Play at 58:25
“I got a binder here. I got a binder here that I’m gonna give you. We know where all the RVs are.”Ken HoustonMember · City Council · Jul 7, 2026 · 4:13:46Play at 4:13:46
“On, um, December the 30th, you guys know about the HAP money that you guys received? Do you guys know about that? The $21 million?”Ken HoustonMember · Rules and Legislation Committee · Feb 5, 2026 · 11:47Play at 11:47
“…in the past it was a parking car or whatever you want to call them, citation car, following behind the street sweepers. I haven’t seen that any longer. Um, did that change?”Ken HoustonMember · Public Works and Transportation Committee · Jun 23, 2026 · 21:47Play at 21:47
“I want to find out, um, what do we plan to do to bring equity, equal, um, equity and outreach to this program?”Ken HoustonMember · City Council · May 5, 2026 · 2:16:26Play at 2:16:26

Officials only. Public speakers are counted, never named.

Issues Houston raised, by number of meetings

We count who raised an issue, not which side they took.

Every roll call, and Houston’s other bodies

Present at 14 of 22 roll calls at the City Council

From the clerk’s own record. We don’t compare members on it.

PresentExcusedAbsentOldest first, 1 square per roll call

Excused 8, arrived later at 7 of those · Absent 0. Nov 4, 2025 to Oct 20, 2026.

Official roll call, from the clerk →
What they talk about

Streets, traffic and parking took 12% of Houston’s speech with a checked topic

By the agenda item on the floor when they spoke, at the City Council and its committees (clerk’s agenda times). 263 of 409 minutes of their speech have a checked topic. How much they talk about it, not which side they take.

Streets, traffic and parking12%
Immigration2.5%
Arts, culture and libraries2.4%
Parks and recreation1.6%
Health and behavioral health1.1%
Development and land use0.6%
Questions

Houston asked 82 questions at the 17 City Council meetings where we identified them

At least this many: direct questions only.

Of Houston’s 97 questions to city departments at the Public Works and Transportation Committee, 45 went to transportation and transit.

Who they question: 136 questions to a department, 3 bodies · Oct 24, 2025 – Oct 8, 2026.

Public Works and Transportation Committee97 questions to city departments
Public Works and Transportation Committee: questions by department
DepartmentShareQuestions
Transportation and transit4546%
Public works, streets and sanitation4344%
Administration, HR, contracts and facilities55%
Budget, finance and controller22%
Building permits and inspection11%
Police11%
City Council36 questions to city departments
City Council: questions by department
DepartmentShareQuestions
City attorney / law department925%
Police514%
Economic development, business and licensing411%
Planning and zoning411%
Public works, streets and sanitation411%
7 other departments1028%
Rules and Legislation Committee3 questions to city departments
Rules and Legislation Committee: questions by department
DepartmentShareQuestions
City attorney / law department3
Neighborhoods Houston named

4 places Houston named in meetings

Lines where Houston named the place, read by two AI readers that both agree it means that place. Each dot plays the newest one; brighter means named more often.

Oakland
  • East Oakland 14 times, the most of any official
  • West Oakland 5 times
  • Elmhurst 1 time
  • Lake Merritt 1 time

Places are drawn at the centre of their own boundary in the city’s neighborhoods (CEDA) file (City of Oakland Open Data Portal); a well-known area with no boundary of its own sits at its OpenStreetMap point. A dot says the place was named, not where Houston was or what was said about it.

Meetings

Every meeting where we identified Houston’s voice

75, newest first. The date opens the meeting; the time plays the video at Houston’s first remark.

  1. Oct 8, 2026Rules and Legislation CommitteeAppointments to boards and commissions2.0 min34:20
  2. Sep 28, 2026Education Partnership CommitteeSchools and youth4.7 min26:54
  3. Sep 22, 2026Public Works and Transportation Committee11.7 min57:36
  4. Sep 22, 2026Public Safety CommitteePolicing and public safety4.3 min48:36
  5. Sep 22, 2026Life Enrichment CommitteeDevelopment and land use6.4 min28:59
  6. Jul 21, 2026City Council11.8 min20:11
  7. Jul 14, 2026Public Works and Transportation Committee7.9 min23:44
  8. Jul 14, 2026Public Safety CommitteePolicing and public safety5.0 min51:06
  9. Jul 14, 2026Life Enrichment CommitteePublic transit · Business and economic development5.7 min11:10
  10. Jul 13, 2026City CouncilDevelopment and land use10.6 min32:09
Show all 75Show fewer
  1. Jul 9, 2026Rules and Legislation Committee3.3 min1:06:47
  2. Jul 7, 2026City CouncilHomelessness · Development and land use17.8 min14:55
  3. Jun 25, 2026Rules and Legislation Committee6.0 min1:26:07
  4. Jun 23, 2026Public Works and Transportation Committee8.4 min10:50
  5. Jun 23, 2026Public Safety CommitteePolicing and public safety10.5 min29:40
  6. Jun 23, 2026Life Enrichment CommitteeSchools and youth1.6 min51:31
  7. Jun 16, 2026City Council0.3 min2:06:58
  8. Jun 9, 2026Public Works and Transportation Committee6.1 min25:26
  9. Jun 9, 2026Public Safety CommitteePolicing and public safety · Fire and emergency services7.8 min34:10
  10. Jun 9, 2026Life Enrichment CommitteeHealth and behavioral health1.7 min8:30
  11. Jun 2, 2026City CouncilPolicing and public safety8.2 min1:10:54
  12. Jun 1, 2026City CouncilBudget and spending5.6 min33:36
  13. May 26, 2026Public Works and Transportation CommitteeParks and recreation10.5 min48:07
  14. May 26, 2026Public Safety CommitteePolicing and public safety5.1 min44:46
  15. May 26, 2026Life Enrichment Committee0.8 min40:21
  16. May 19, 2026City CouncilCity workforce and labor12.1 min15:13
  17. May 12, 2026Public Works and Transportation Committee12.1 min28:29
  18. May 12, 2026Public Safety CommitteePolicing and public safety · Fire and emergency services12.1 min24:09
  19. May 12, 2026Life Enrichment CommitteeSchools and youth2.6 min7:15
  20. May 7, 2026Rules and Legislation Committee7.7 min48:54
  21. May 5, 2026City Council7.8 min1:15:04
  22. Apr 23, 2026Rules and Legislation Committee2.3 min42:33
  23. Apr 21, 2026Public Works and Transportation CommitteeDevelopment and land use3.4 min33:19
  24. Apr 21, 2026Public Safety CommitteePolicing and public safety4.0 min18:03
  25. Apr 21, 2026Life Enrichment CommitteeBusiness and economic development3.4 min7:27
  26. Apr 14, 2026City CouncilHomelessness · City workforce and labor19.3 min29:15
  27. Mar 26, 2026Rules and Legislation Committee3.5 min1:48:10
  28. Mar 24, 2026Public Works and Transportation Committee12.6 min34:57
  29. Mar 24, 2026Public Safety CommitteePolicing and public safety5.4 min35:23
  30. Mar 24, 2026Life Enrichment CommitteeArts, culture and libraries6.0 min29:33
  31. Mar 16, 2026City Council7.4 min12:02
  32. Mar 10, 2026Public Works and Transportation CommitteePublic transit2.4 min1:24:31
  33. Mar 10, 2026Public Safety CommitteePolicing and public safety1.2 min7:38
  34. Mar 10, 2026Life Enrichment CommitteeHomelessness · Arts, culture and libraries8.9 min11:11
  35. Mar 5, 2026Rules and Legislation Committee5.7 min23:29
  36. Feb 24, 2026Public Works and Transportation Committee5.1 min20:12
  37. Feb 24, 2026Public Safety CommitteePolicing and public safety4.1 min30:05
  38. Feb 24, 2026Life Enrichment Committee1.9 min1:03:54
  39. Feb 17, 2026City Council3.5 min30:55
  40. Feb 10, 2026Public Works and Transportation Committee3.8 min54:54
  41. Feb 10, 2026Public Safety CommitteeAppointments to boards and commissions0.8 min18:05
  42. Feb 10, 2026Life Enrichment Committee4.1 min7:17
  43. Feb 5, 2026Rules and Legislation CommitteeHomelessness3.0 min11:39
  44. Feb 3, 2026City CouncilPolicing and public safety6.4 min3:16
  45. Jan 29, 2026Rules and Legislation Committee0.8 min17:37
  46. Jan 27, 2026Public Works and Transportation Committee4.3 min11:11
  47. Jan 27, 2026Public Safety CommitteePolicing and public safety3.9 min1:25:27
  48. Jan 27, 2026Life Enrichment CommitteeHealth and behavioral health1.2 min15:24
  49. Jan 20, 2026City CouncilAppointments to boards and commissions6.3 min9:49
  50. Jan 13, 2026Public Works and Transportation Committee3.6 min14:08
  51. Jan 13, 2026Public Safety CommitteePolicing and public safety2.4 min44:51
  52. Jan 13, 2026Life Enrichment CommitteeSchools and youth1.7 min22:18
  53. Jan 6, 2026City Council7.4 min15:02
  54. Dec 16, 2025City Council3.5 min4:29:41
  55. Dec 11, 2025Rules and Legislation Committee0.7 min16:04
  56. Dec 9, 2025Public Works and Transportation Committee4.4 min27:52
  57. Dec 9, 2025Public Safety CommitteePolicing and public safety2.1 min8:49
  58. Dec 9, 2025Life Enrichment CommitteeParks and recreation · Schools and youth2.4 min12:37
  59. Dec 2, 2025City CouncilBusiness and economic development3.4 min8:57
  60. Nov 18, 2025Public Works and Transportation Committee1.9 min38:05
  61. Nov 18, 2025Public Safety CommitteePolicing and public safety2.6 min54:22
  62. Nov 18, 2025Life Enrichment Committee4.8 min20:33
  63. Nov 4, 2025City Council7.6 min29:47
  64. Oct 30, 2025Rules and Legislation Committee1.0 min33:17
  65. Oct 28, 2025Public Works and Transportation Committee7.0 min37:34
How we identify who is speaking · blind check, pooled across five cities: of 410 council lines drawn, 352 right, 0 wrong, 1 unclear, 57 couldn’t be judged

We identified Houston’s voice at 75 meetings across six bodies. A meeting missing here means we couldn’t attribute the voice, not that Houston was absent. Claude and Gemini each read every transcript with that day’s roster. A voice gets Ken Houston’s name only when both agree and a code check finds the name said on, or just before, their turn. Voices our transcripts merge with someone else’s are never attributed, so every count here undercounts what Houston said. For councils and their committees, of 410 lines drawn, 352 were right, 0 wrong and 1 unclear, and the checkers couldn’t judge 57. We have since removed the voices behind 110 of those lines (0 wrong, 1 unclear, the rest we had already held for other reasons). Of the 300 lines we still publish, the checkers could judge 268: all 268 right (90% lower bound 0.99). They couldn’t judge the other 32. The check is one sample pooled across the five cities, not of Houston or of Oakland alone.