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Formerly Incarcerated to get Decent Housing from Governor’s Homekey Program Award

Published

5 years ago

October 30, 2020

Former Black Panther leader Elaine Brown.

Recently Renovated, Former Traveler’s Hotel in Downtown Oakland to be Purchased by Group Including Elaine Brown to House Formerly Incarcerated People

Led by former Black Panther leader Elaine Brown and others, the 11^th & Franklin LLC was awarded $21 million in Homekey program funds to purchase the former Traveler’s Hotel to create homes for the unhoused.

Brown, who is now CEO of the nonprofit Oakland & the World Enterprises, partnered with St. Louis-based developer McCormack Baron Salazar, Oakland’s MPI Homes, and Affordable Housing Associates to purchase the hotel at 392 11^th St. in downtown Oakland from owner NDO Group, LLC.

The purpose of the innovative Homekey program is to fund the “purchase and rehabilitation of hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings and other properties to convert into housing for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness.”

“There is no population at greater risk of homelessness than people being released back into society, who suffer wholesale denial of housing and employment solely because of their former incarceration, most of whom are Black men and women,” said Brown, who has been an advocate for prisoners for decades. “We are grateful to have this opportunity to provide a place for some of them.”

The building will be renamed The Huey P. Newton.

Partners Ali Kashani, a senior vice president of McCormack Baron Salazar, and Ali Kashani, founder of Affordable Housing Associates thanked Gov. Gavin Newsom, the State Dept. of Housing and the City of Oakland’s Housing Dept., under the leadership of Director Shola Olatoye, not only for facilitating the award process but also for providing $7 Million of the total award from city funds, as required by the State Housing Department.

The group also thanked the Oakland City Council for unanimously approving the City’s contribution.

All participants acknowledged the critical role in this effort of the nonprofit organization BOSS, Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency, and its Executive Director Donald Frazier.

Frazier worked hard to secure agreements with both the County Probation Dept. and Health Care Services Agency to house the men and women returning to the community from prison.

BOSS is committed to operate and oversee supportive services for the newly-housed residents at 11^thand Franklin. Frazier stated he is constantly hunting for decent, affordable housing for vulnerable individuals and families, and applauded this opportunity.

Michelle Snider

Associate Editor for The Post News Group. Writer, Photographer, Videographer, Copy Editor, and website editor documenting local events in the Oakland-Bay Area California area.

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Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

Published

5 days ago

March 7, 2026

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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

2 weeks 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

3 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.