Bay Area

12 Groups Fighting Youth Homelessness Win Grants Totaling $38 Million

“This funding represents an important lifeline in protecting some of the most vulnerable members of our communities,” said California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) Director Mark Ghilarducci. “Through the partnership with these community-based organizations we are able to provide meaningful support and change lives.”

Published

4 years ago

April 4, 2022

Oakland Post

@PaulCobbOakland @GavinNewsom @NNPA_BlackPress @BlackPressUSA @SenAlexPadilla @LCastroRamirez

“Youth overwhelmingly cite family conflict and breakdown — commonly abuse or neglect, alcohol or drug addiction of a family member, pregnancy, and rejection over sexual orientation — as the major reasons for their homelessness or episodes of running away,” reads the California Coalition for Youth website.

By Aldon Thomas Stiles, California Black Media

Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California awarded $38 million in grants to 12 community-based organizations working to combat homelessness among youths and young adults in the state. The governor’s office says the grants are part of a $14 billion ongoing commitment to end homelessness in the state.

The funds, distributed through the Homeless Youth Emergency Services and Housing Program, will be used to assist young people who are facing housing insecurity or are currently unhoused in 12 different counties.

“These grants will provide relief and emergency support to young people across California experiencing homelessness, who are too often left in dire situations to fend for themselves,” said Newsom.

“We’re providing immediate aid for those living on our streets — bringing resources and services directly to young people in need and helping them onto a path towards a stable future,” the governor continued.

The funds will also go toward providing “mental health support with crisis intervention and stabilization services,” according to Newsom’s office.

About a quarter of California’s Homeless population suffers from severe mental illness, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Newsom is also proposing special courts to adjudicate cases involving mental health involving unhoused people across the state.

“There’s no compassion stepping over people in the streets and sidewalks,” Newsom said at a press briefing earlier this month. “We could hold hands, have a candlelight vigil, talk about the way the world should be, or we could take some responsibility to implement our ideas. That’s what we’re doing differently here.”

According to the California Homeless Youth Project, 200,000 Californians under the age of 18 are homeless for one or more days during the year.

“Addressing youth homelessness takes a village,” said Lourdes Castro Ramírez, secretary of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency. “This is why this investment in community-based organizations that make up the village and provide bridges of support to young people is an important part of our efforts to prevent and end homelessness.”

Advocates for homeless youth say there are many factors that can lead to youth homelessness, including addiction and hostile reactions from community members about a young person’s social identity.

The organizations receiving the funds are: Bill Wilson Center (Santa Clara County); Center for Human Services ( Stanislaus County); Community Human Services (Monterey County); Interface Children and Family Services (Ventura County); Larkin Street Youth Services (San Francisco County); Orangewood Foundation (Orange County); Redwood Community Action Agency (Humboldt County); Ruby’s Place (Alameda County); San Diego Youth Services (San Diego County); Volunteers of America Los Angeles (Los Angeles County); Waking the Village (Sacramento County) and Women’s Center – Youth & Family Services (San Joaquin County).

Newsom also announced his administration is allocating more than $116 million in funding to seven different “Homekey” projects as a part of the governor’s effort to provide housing for homeless people.

Newsom’s pandemic-oriented homelessness program, called Project Roomkey, will continue to receive support from the federal government as well. The state-run initiative converts hotels and other facilities into temporary housing for homeless people.

A companion program, Project Homekey, provides funding to create permanent housing for formerly unhoused people to counties, cities, local councils and other government authorities.

“Continued support from FEMA will allow us to extend Project Roomkey to get more people off the streets and into shelter,” the governor said. “Since the start of the pandemic, California has moved with unprecedented speed, helping more than 50,000 homeless individuals.”

Last month, California’s junior U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla introduced a bill proposing a nearly $532 billion federal investment over 10 years for tackling California’s and the nation’s twin homelessness and housing affordability crises.

Speaking at a Project Homekey site in Sacramento called La Mancha Way Apartments, Padilla, a Democrat, said, the legislation titled “The Housing Act for All” would provide funding for both existing programs and experimental initiatives.

“Every person has a right to the dignity and security of housing,” said Padilla. “It’s going to take all levels of government working together to rebuild a more inclusive and equitable society for all. The legislation is an opportunity to invest and align resources in expanding affordable housing and strengthening proven solutions.”

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COMMENTARY: Judiciary Committee Hearings Enough; Ketanji Brown Jackson Should Be on Supreme Court

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GOP Senator Susan Collins to Support Judge Ketanji Brown-Jackson for Supreme Court.

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

1 week ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 18 – 24, 2026

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1 week ago

February 20, 2026

Oakland Post

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CITY OF SAN LEANDRO STATE OF CALIFORNIA PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ENGINEERING DIVISION NOTICE TO BIDDERS FOR ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III

WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of roadway paving, base cement stabilization, concrete curb ramps, driveways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic detection loops and pavement striping, and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.

Published

1 week ago

February 20, 2026

Oakland Post

PROJECT NO. 2020.0050

BID NO. 25-26.011

BID OPENING: The bidder shall complete the “Proposal to the City of San Leandro” form contained in the Contract Book. The proposal shall be submitted in its entirety. Incomplete proposals will be considered non-responsive. Sealed bids containing the completed Proposal Section subject to the conditions named herein and in the specifications for ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III/PROJECT NO. 2020.0050 addressed to the City of San Leandro will be received at City Hall, 835 East 14^th Street, 2^nd Floor San Leandro at the office of the City Clerk up to 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at which time they will be publicly opened and read.
WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of roadway paving, base cement stabilization, concrete curb ramps, driveways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic detection loops and pavement striping, and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.
OBTAINING THE PROJECT PLANS AND CONTRACT BOOK: The project plans and Contract Book may be obtained free of charge from the City’s website at:https://www.sanleandro.org/Bids.aspx Bidders who download the plans are encouraged to contact the City of San Leandro Public Works Department Engineering division at 510-577-3428 to be placed on the project planholder’s list to receive courtesy notifications of addenda and other project information. Project addenda, if any, will be posted on the website. A bidder who fails to address all project addenda in its proposal may be deemed non-responsive.Bidders may also purchase the Project Plans and Contract Book from East Bay Blueprint & Supply Co., at 1745 14^th Street, Oakland, CA 94606; Phone Number: (510) 261-2990 or email: ebbp@eastbayblueprint.com.
PRE-BID CONFERENCE: A mandatory pre-bid conference will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM and on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM as follows:
Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM
Zoom Meeting ID: 883 8752 6074
Passcode: 502955
Zoom Link: https://sanleandro-org.zoom.us/j/88387526074?pwd=hZ5rjB8AWdLAUem3CtByFiZxqKarHj.1
And
Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM
Zoom Meeting ID: 898 2672 0472
Passcode: 091848
Zoom Link: https://sanleandro-org.zoom.us/j/89826720472?pwd=JgZX2nXMpLSRM5xDPr7EJUxl7QIznr.1The information presented at the conferences will be identical, all bidders must attend one of the pre-bid conference and sign the attendance sheet. A firm that didn’t attend the pre-bid conference isn’t qualified to bid on the project.Questions regarding the plans and specifications may be submitted in writing to the project engineer until 5:00 p.m. five (5) days before, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, bids must be received by the City. The City will not respond to oral questions outside of the pre-bid conference. The response, if any, will be by written addendum only. Oral responses do not constitute a revision to these plans or specifications.
VALUE OF WORK: The Engineer has estimated that the value of work is between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000.
SAN LEANDRO BUSINESS PREFERENCE AND PARTICIPATION GOALS: The work performed under this contract is subject to Section 1-6-225 of the San Leandro Municipal Code regarding local business preference and participation. A list of companies that hold a San Leandro business license is located on the City webpage under the finance department, here: https://www.sanleandro.org/340/Business-License
SAN LEANDRO COMMUNITY WORKFORCE AGREEMENT: The work performed under this contract is subject to the Community Workforce Agreement adopted by City Council Resolution 2015-104. Contractors attention is directed to Section 10.