Uncategorized

Clergy Proposal to Help Homeless Faces Another Mayoral Staff Delay

Published

7 years ago

September 13, 2018

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf has promised to expedite funding for a faith-based proposal to utilize church parking lots for tiny homes and safe car parking for 500 or more the city’s homeless residents – but not this month.

Many people are demanding the mayor and her administration to act with urgency to help the homeless – noting that winter is coming, and the cold and rain will only make the emergency worse.

Last Wednesday, Mayor Schaaf called Pastor Ken Chambers, president of the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC), pledging to move ahead on a $300,000 grant. She told Pastor Chambers the proposal would go to a City Council committee this week and the following week to the full City Council for a vote.

The proposal has faced obstacles since early this year, waiting for Schaaf’s administration to act on it or even to return calls.

Despite the Mayor’s promise, the measure was delayed once again at the Life Enrichment Committee’s Tuesday meeting. The administration had placed it on the committee agenda as an informational report, not an action item, By law, the council cannot vote on a measure unless it was listed on the agenda as an action item.

City staff said on Tuesday the proposal would be scheduled for Life Enrichment in October and then go to the City Council. But by the Oakland Post’s deadline, the paperwork still had not been filed to hear the issue in October.

Speaking at the meeting, Pastor Chambers said that a number of churches and faith-based organizations are “all hands on deck with this safe car park and tiny home program.”

“You all the have power to move this forward,” he told council members.

Agreeing, Councilmember-at-Large Rebecca Kaplan pointed out that the City Council on April 17 passed a resolution supporting the faith-based car park proposal, asked the City to find funding and return to council for action within three months, which expired July 17.

“We say it’s a crisis. We declare its an emergency. If we declare an emergency because of an earthquake that was causing 6,000 people to be out on our streets, we wouldn’t be here six months later without an action item,” she said.

“Other cities have started creating allowable RV locations. I really hope we can do that with all due haste,” Kaplan said. “That’s something that can be done quickly. I really want to see us take action on the proposal of the Interfaith Coalition.”

Kaplan told the Post she would make a motion at next Monday’s City Council meeting to fund the faith-based homeless proposal.
Because the City Council had already passed a motion in April supporting the proposal and asked for it to return to council, she believes there is a basis to offer an amendment on Monday to redirect funds from a motion supported by the mayor to allocate $500,000 to build 40 Tuff Sheds for the homeless.

“We have churches that want to help. It’s insane that we’ve been talking about this for almost a year,” Kaplan said. “And the faith-based proposal, at a fraction of the cost, would serve 500 people. not 40.”

The City Council meeting takes places Monday, Sept. 17 at Oakland City Hall at 5:30 p.m.

Oakland Post

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Uncategorized

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

Posts by Oakland Post

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.