Bay Area

City Council Saves Oakland from Largest Annual Rent Increase in City’s History

“With gas prices nearing $7/gallon, the increased costs of food and everyday expenses, I could not, in good conscience, allow this exorbitant spike to take effect,” said Councilmember Carroll Fife in an email newsletter. “Thousands of Oakland residents will rest a little easier knowing their housing is secure,” she continued. “I’m grateful for my policy staff as well as city staff and attorneys who moved with urgency to bring this ordinance forward before it was able to do serious and irreparable harm.”

Published

4 years ago

June 8, 2022

Oakland Post

Oakland apartment buildings

Councilmember Carroll Fife’s ordinance reduces inflated 6.7% allowable increase to a maximum of 3%, passes with six votes

By Ken Epstein

The Oakland City Council took a bold action this week to protect tenants from a huge increase in rents this year, which without council action was set to be one of the largest annual rent increases in city history.

Under the new ordinance, passed Tuesday, a proposed 6.7% allowable rent increase was reduced to a maximum of 3%.

The ordinance, introduced by Councilmember Carroll Fife, passed the Council Tuesday with six votes. Councilmember Noel Gallo voted no, and Councilmember Loren Taylor, a candidate for mayor, abstained.

“With gas prices nearing $7/gallon, the increased costs of food and everyday expenses, I could not, in good conscience, allow this exorbitant spike to take effect,” said Fife in an email newsletter.

“Thousands of Oakland residents will rest a little easier knowing their housing is secure,” she continued. “I’m grateful for my policy staff as well as city staff and attorneys who moved with urgency to bring this ordinance forward before it was able to do serious and irreparable harm.”

During hours of public testimony, tenants spoke about how the proposed increase would impact their lives. At a typical rent of $2050, a 6.7% increase would cost a renter $137.35 a month.

Several landlords who spoke at the meeting said they needed a larger than 3% rent increase to recoup COVID and utility losses. City staff responded that lost costs can be recovered in different ways despite the legislation.

Councilmember Fife has been pushing for increased tenant protections and low-rent housing as Oakland’s homelessness crisis continues to skyrocket — growing by 21% during the pandemic.

About 60% of Oakland residents are renters, and 51% of tenants are classified as very low-income, according to Fife.

Under Oakland’s rent control law, property owners can increase rents by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) each year, generally between 1% and 3%.

But inflation this year has meant a CPI of 6.7% this year, set to go into effect on July 1.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

4 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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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

2 weeks 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.