Activism

HNU Says (Secret) Deadline Has Passed to File Proposals to Save Campus

Despite opposition of the trustees, many community leaders and city officials are moving forward for an educational future for the campus. In a statement released this week, Councilmember-at-Large Rebecca Kaplan reiterated city leaders’ commitment to maintaining the HNU campus, including as a Historically Black College or University (HBCU): “The Holy Names University site can, and should, have an educational future to provide jobs, opportunity, train teachers and others for vital community needs, and preserve the intended purpose of the land, and the funding they have received.

Published

2 years ago

April 30, 2023

Ken Epstein

Holy Names University Campus. File photo.

By Ken Epstein

The Board of Trustees of Holy Names University (HNU), which has shown little interest in working with educational institutions or city leaders to maintain the campus as a site for higher education, is now telling potential partners that a previously unmentioned deadline for submitting proposals has already passed, as of last Friday.

The trustees had hired a real estate firm to sell the nearly 60-acre property in the Oakland Hills for top dollar to a developer of high-end housing.

But the City of Oakland staff recently told HNU that such a development would violate the city’s general zoning regulations and is not permitted.

Despite opposition of the trustees, many community leaders and city officials are moving forward for an educational future for the campus.

In a statement released this week, Councilmember-at-Large Rebecca Kaplan reiterated city leaders’ commitment to maintaining the HNU campus, including as a Historically Black College or University (HBCU):

“The Holy Names University site can, and should, have an educational future to provide jobs, opportunity, train teachers and others for vital community needs, and preserve the intended purpose of the land, and the funding they have received.

“I am honored to join together with community members, including alumni, students, and faculty of HNU, and many neighbors and others who are worried about the loss of vital educational programs. I am pleased that we have been able to identify the removal of all of the barriers to continued educational use, including verifying that neither the Attorney General, nor the lender, are requiring HNU to select a for-profit buyer, and there are educational users interested in acquiring the property,” she said.

“In addition, given the Oakland general plan (zoning) designation of the site, and the intentions of the donors to Holy Names, it is appropriate to pursue an educational future for the site,” Kaplan said.

In an interview, Oakland Post publisher Paul Cobb said, “I have spoken to prospective developers and buyers of the Holy Names Campus. I have noticed that some white developers have been given true financial information while some Black applicants have not.”

“Since HNU leaders have misrepresented the role and advice of the California Attorney General Bonta’s office with the disposition of the property and its potential future, I will ask Bonta, the Alameda County District Attorney, and the Oakland City Attorney to jointly investigate the inaccurate marketing of this vital educational institution,” he said.

“Since HNU graduates many of our teachers and health professionals, we must make sure that there is full transparency,” he continued.

“I also recently informed Cardinal Turkson from the Vatican that we plan to save HNU and add a Black College to help serve the area’s needs.”

Ken Epstein

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Activism

Oakland Poll: Tell Us What You Think About the Cost of Groceries in Oakland

Food banks and grocery giveaways are a large part of the resources nonprofits in Oakland prioritize, particularly in areas like East and West Oakland where low-income families of color tend to reside. These neighborhoods are often labeled as “food deserts” or communities that have limited access to affordable and nutritious foods.

Published

1 day ago

January 29, 2025

Oakland Post

Oakland Poll: Tell Us What You Think About the Cost of Groceries in Oakland

By Magaly Muñoz

In 2023, the average spending on groceries increased by nearly $30 each month from the year before;people are spending over $500 a month to put food on the table.

Through previous reporting by the Post, we’ve learned that families in Oakland are depending more and more on free or low cost groceries from food banks because they can no longer afford the rising costs of food at the store.

We’ve recently spoken to families across these two areas of Oakland and have heard several stories that all point to one problem: food is expensive. Some individuals are spending upwards of $150 a week for themselves or double if they have teens or small children in the family.

We’ve also heard stories of people with chronic illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure struggling to maintain their diets because they’re having a hard time affording the food that helps them stay healthy.

Do these experiences sound similar to what you or your family are dealing with every month? Are you struggling to afford your basic groceries every week? Do you depend on food banks to help you get by? Are there any chronic illnesses in your household that need to be managed by a special diet?

We want to hear about your experiences and ideas for solutions!

The Oakland Post is investigating food access in Oakland and how residents are surviving as the cost of living continues to increase. Your experiences will help shape our reporting and show local leaders the need to invest in our communities.

In order to get as much feedback as possible, we ask that you click this link to fill out a brief questionnaire or visit tinyurl.com/Oakland-Post-food-survey. You can also scan the QR code above to reach the survey. After you fill it out, please consider sharing the link with your friends and family in Oakland.

If you have questions, please reach out to our Oakland reporter Magaly Muñoz at mmunoz@postnewsgroup or text/call her at (510) 905-5286.