House hacking in deep East Oakland

[David Lam]

Hello BP! I'm considering investing deep East Oakland, specifically the areas between the Coliseum and San Leandro. I was thinking of house hacking in the short future then possibly short-term rentals or Section 8 later down the line. However, I have heard horror stories about the homeless that can park out there and the police not coming to assist, gunshots, disrespect for your property, human waste lying around, and drug houses, and more. The quality of tenants may suffer as a result.

Is it worth it? To hope that gentrification would eventually kick in and create a safer neighborhood? Back then, West Oakland was a no-go zone. Now it's experiencing a renaissance. Does anyone have any personal anecdotes to share?