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500 Attend African American Organizations Making Connections

Published

13 years ago

March 1, 2013

From left to right: Congresswoman Barbara Lee, founding Black Panther Party Chairman Bobby Seale, and Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson at the 2nd African American Organizations Making Connections at Laney College on Feb. 23. Photo credit: Reginald James.

In celebration of Black History Month, Supervisor Keith Carson and community leaders held the African American Organizations Making Connections 2013 conference, “Strategies and Outcomes for Our Black Community,” Feb. 23 at Laney College in Oakland. More than 500 people attended.
“The Black community faces many challenges, including high unemployment, Black-on-Black violence and poor health outcomes,” said Carson.
“Making Connections 2013 was an opportunity for us to come together as one, establish a vision for the future and identify concrete actions that we can take to improve the lives of Black people right now,” he said.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee told of her efforts through the Congressional Black Caucus and as a member of the Appropriations Committee to increase educational and economic opportunities for African Americans in the Bay Area and around the country.
Former Black Panther Party leaders Elaine Brown and Bobby Seale and Ella Baker Center Executive Director Jakada Imani participated in the plenary panel, “A Look into the Black Community: Where We Have Been, Where We Are, Where We Are Going.”
Seale recounted his experience growing up in Texas and the racism he faced as a young man. “The precept of White supremacy and precept of Black inferiority was enshrined in racist laws, which had to be changed through the legislative process,” he said.
In the 1960s, there were only about 50 African American elected officials nationwide, Seale said. Now, in addition to President Obama, there are thousands of African Americans officials at the local, state, and Congressional levels.
Brown spoke about the ongoing plight of poverty and unequal educational opportunities for Blacks. “The problems of racism and economic inequality and war are all connected,” she said. “Today, we don’t want to say ‘poor people.’ We only talk about the middle class. We need a new movement to address poverty.”
Dr. Siri Brown, Chair of African American Studies at Merritt College, reported that the conference’s “Black Men /Black Women” workshop come to the conclusion that “Good communication starts with self work.”
African Americans need to reach out and ask for help from others who have been down the path of navigating relationships, marriage and children, she said.
Out of the “Faith-Based & Community Organizations” workshop came a commitment from Allen Temple Baptist Church to host a roundtable to continue the conversation about how to better collaborate, coordinate and reduce barriers to providing social services to the Black community.
Organizers created BlackLink, a free social network to keep people connected to the Black community. Login from a computer or smart phone by visiting: http://blacklink.ning.com/.
Making Connections 2013 was sponsored by Supervisor Carson, Alameda Alliance for Health, Clorox, Kaiser Permanente, Comcast, Laney College and the Socially Responsible Network.

Oakland Post

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Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

6 months ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Special to The Post

The City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department (Oakland HCD) announced its awardees for the 2024-2025 New Construction of Multifamily Affordable Housing Notice of Funding Availability (New Construction NOFA) today Five permanently affordable housing developments received awards out of 24 applications received by the Department, with award amounts ranging from $7 million to $28 million.

In a statement released on Jan. 16, Oakland’s HCD stated, “Five New Construction Multifamily Affordable Housing Development projects awarded a total of $80.5 million to develop 583 affordable rental homes throughout Oakland. Awardees will leverage the City’s investments to apply for funding from the state and private entities.”

In December, the office of Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 City Councilmember, worked with HCD to allocate an additional $10 Million from Measure U to the funding pool. The legislation also readopted various capital improvement projects including street paving and upgrades to public facilities.

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is the media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

10 months ago

January 30, 2025

Oakland Post

Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 city councilmember. File photo.

Special to The Post

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units, including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Oakland Acquisition Company’s Acquisition of County’s Interest in Coliseum Property on the Verge of Completion

The Board of Supervisors is committed to closing the deal expeditiously, and County staff have worked tirelessly to move the deal forward on mutually agreeable terms. The parties are down to the final details and, with the cooperation of OAC and Coliseum Way Partners, LLC, the Board will take a public vote at an upcoming meeting to seal this transaction.

Published

11 months ago

January 11, 2025

Oakland Post

Alameda County Board of Supervisors Chairman David Haubert. Official photo.

Special to The Post

The County of Alameda announced this week that a deal allowing the Oakland Acquisition Company, LLC, (“OAC”) to acquire the County’s 50% undivided interest in the Oakland- Alameda County Coliseum complex is in the final stages of completion.

Oakland has already finalized a purchase and sale agreement with OAC for its interest in the property. OAC’s acquisition of the County’s property interest will achieve two longstanding goals of the County:

The Oakland-Alameda Coliseum complex will finally be under the control of a sole owner with capacity to make unilateral decisions regarding the property; and
The County will be out of the sports and entertainment business, free to focus and rededicate resources to its core safety net

In an October 2024 press release from the City of Oakland, the former Oakland mayor described the sale of its 50% interest in the property as an “historic achievement” stating that the transaction will “continue to pay dividends for generations to come.”

The Board of Supervisors is pleased to facilitate single-entity ownership of this property uniquely centered in a corridor of East Oakland that has amazing potential.

“The County is committed to bringing its negotiations with OAC to a close,” said Board President David Haubert.