Bay Area

City of Oakland Receives Millions of Dollars to Help Tenants, Property Owners with Back Bills

The City is partnering with four local community-based, not-for-profit organizations – Bay Area Community Services (BACS), Catholic Charities East Bay, Centro Legal de la Raza, and Eviction Defense Center – to engage with and identify potential applicants as well as to screen and process applications.

Published

5 years ago

April 9, 2021

Mia Lane

The City of Oakland’s Keep Oakland Housed Emergency Rental Assistance Program (KOH/ERAP) began accepting applications April 1, 2021. The program, one of two being offered to Oakland residents and property owners, targets the most vulnerable community members who are behind in rent and/or utilities.

Tenants may apply to the City’s program through a single portal (linked below). Property owners are also eligible to apply for funding for unpaid rent and/or utilities on behalf of their tenants once gaining written permission from the tenants.

There are currently two rental assistance programs offered to Oakland tenants and property owners simultaneously – the City program known as Keep Oakland Housed Emergency Rental Assistance Program (KOH/ERAP) and the State program often referred to as SB 91 Rental Assistance Program.

Duplicate applications to both programs is strictly prohibited, and there are distinct differences in eligibility requirements. As such, anyone who thinks they may be eligible should contact a partner agency for individual case review. See partner contact information below.

The application period for the City program opened April 1, 2021 and runs through March 31, 2022, or until funds are exhausted.

The City program serves:

• Tenants at or below 50% of Area Median Income (AMI) – $65,250 for a four-person household.

• Property owners of 100% restricted affordable housing.

• KOH/ERAP is managed by the city in partnership with local partner agencies

• Visit the City of Oakland’s website here for more information on how to apply.

The State program serves:

• Tenants above 50% AMI – $65,250 for a four-person household.

• Property owners applying for their building(s).

• The State program will pay up to 80% of rent owed; 20% must be forgiven.

• The State program, SB91 Rental Assistance Program is managed by Horne LLP and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).

• Visit the State website for more information on how to apply.

More Information or Apply Now

City of Oakland:

• Visit the Housing & Community Development page of the City website.

• Call the Housing Resource Center (510) 238-6182

Partner agency contact:

• Bay Area Community Services (BACS) – (510) 899-9289

• Catholic Charities of the East Bay – (510) 860-4985

• Centro Legal de la Raza – (510) 437-1554

• Eviction Defense Center – (510) 452-4541

Find the Keep Oakland Housed Emergency Rental Assistance Application: https://hpp.bayareacs.org/

L. Autumn King is in the City of Oakland Administrator’s office.

Mia Lane

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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

3 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Oakland Post

Posts by 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.