Remember the old Sears store in downtown Oakland? Well surprise, it’s going to be taken over by Uber in a matter of months. 
Even though Uber has its headquarters in San Francisco for some reason it wasn’t big enough. The result of that is the spillage of tech companies into Oakland. The new welcome of Uber in Oakland will intensify the already worsening gentrification issues that the city has been experiencing in recent years, but at the same time bring business into downtown.
People tend to have a love/hate relationship on the topic of gentrification. With the demand of employees comes the need of housing for everyone. Forbes adds, “But with a $50 billion valuation, and a reported goal to add 2,000–3,000 employees in the Bay Area in two years, it far surpasses any existing Bump City tech firm.” 
Where will these people live? Where will they eat their lunch? If we get down to the basics, where will they buy a cup of coffee? The house warming of Uber will force higher housing cost, along with a higher cost of living. 
Unaffordable housing will compel many already economically vunerable Oakland residents out of their communities. This isn’t fair for citizens who put their heart and soul into Oakland. In the near future, Uber will leave open doors for other tech companies to replace Oakland’s existence.
The upside of Uber moving in creates more business in the downtown area, which means that it is also creating extra job opportunities. It’s a chance for small business owners to possibly draw in sales from people who have deep pockets. This could lead to creating a new source of revenue for business owners and will give added value to Oakland. Uber’s arrival will bring job opportunities that cater to people who are struggling to find a job. Most tech companies don’t really hire people in the neighborhood; on the other hand, they fly people out from around the world to take their job. 
As a final point: Uber’s arrival in Oakland is more of a hindrance, rather than an advancement. Oakland’s community is full of diversity, creativity, and many influential people who have great impact on our local society. We cannot simply allow tech companies to run over Oakland’s massive potential to survive and strive.

Jaria Roxas is a Tower staff writer. Email her at Jairoxas3(at)gmail.com.