Uncategorized

From Haiti to Oakland, Séphora Pierre-Louis Reaches Out to Help Her Homeland

Published

13 years ago

March 14, 2013

Oakland Post

Séphora Pierre-Louis

By Randie Ellington

On Tuesday Jan. 12, 2010, a little over three years ago, at 4:53 p.m., a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti, 16 miles from its capital city of Port Au Prince. In less than 45 seconds, more than 200,000 people were killed.
One of the survivors, Séphora Pierre-Louis, found herself mourning for the family and friends that she lost, while simultaneously contemplating her own future. “That evening I was miserable – I just sat down and cried. I thought about what happened, but most of all I thought about what I should do next,” she said.
Years late, this is the first time that Pierre-Louis has been able to take a quiet moment for deep reflection and to think deeply about her life and how it can be more meaningful.
Times have been difficult and stressful, she said, but she has embraced a philosophy that gives her strength: “Every experience has a lesson. Every situation has a silver lining.”
Finding good in the midst of adversity is nothing new for Pierre-Louis. Though her family was middle class by Haitian standards, she has had to struggle to get an education. The young woman graduated from high school at 18 with secretarial and typing diplomas. She worked at night while taking undergraduate study classes.
At the age of 19, hshe lost mother who died at 45, leaving the young woman to care for her 9 year-old brother, while continuing her own studies.
She also learned to speak English, and Spanish, in addition to her mother tongues of French and Creole.
She eventually graduated from college, attained career successes and a family. She won a scholarship at Mills College in Oakland, where she is now studying for a masters in business administration. When she graduates, she plans to return to Haiti and launch a non-profit organization that provides business and entrepreneurial skills to help empower others to build self-sustaining lives.
“Businesses and industries in Haiti face many obstacles including low education levels and poor money management,” she said, “My calling is to provide the skills, knowledge and tools to be self sustainable.”
She is a member of Imani Community Church, which helped strengthen her yearning to make a difference in the world. She also joined and became an active leader in Toastmasters International.
In 2003, Pierre-Louis joined the Flamboyant Toastmasters International (TI) club in Haiti to overcome her shyness.
She earned Toastmasters’ highest education achievement, the Distinguished Toastmaster, in six years. She is member of two Bay Area Toastmasters clubs and serves as club coach for a third
She and her husband Verlaine are members of Heart2Heart, an Advanced Toastmasters club that focuses on communication in relationships. Recently, she placed first in the Laugh Lovers Comedy Club Toastmasters International Speech Contest.
“Toastmasters has been a great way to share all that has happened in my life and to use my experiences to help others,” she said. Pierre-Louis will represent her club at the Area D-30 Speech Contest on Thursday, March 21 at Vo’s Restaurant in Oakland at 7 p.m. For more information call: (510) 832-2628 Ext 230.

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

11 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.