Housing

Opinion: Oakland has the land to accommodate new residents without displacing others

Published

6 years ago

May 14, 2018

By Greg McConnell | President and CEO, The McConnell Group

Oakland needs a bold, new vision for housing. The loss of life in the Ghost Ship fire should be a wake-up call to everyone, residents, developers and city officials alike. The tragedy highlights the danger of allowing property owners to rent sub-standard, un-sanctioned housing, or allowing people to illegally occupy commercial buildings in the pursuit of affordability.

This is precisely why we have zoning and building codes that distinguish between residential and commercial buildings and mandate safety and habitability standards. Property owners must ensure that their properties are legal and up to code. If a building has been allowed to deteriorate, or is being used illegally, the building may need to be vacated to complete the required work and/or ensure that residential occupancy is legal.

In our housing crisis, residents in need of affordable housing resist displacement. It is understandable that some people side with such residents out of compassion. But, Ghost Ship showed us in clear and unmistakable terms, there is nothing compassionate about letting people live in dangerous, life-threatening conditions.

Unfortunately, developers who turn around dangerous or illegally occupied properties are treated, by some, like bad-guys coming in to gentrify neighborhoods. The truth is, more often than not, the developer who turns properties around most often did not cause those properties to fall into disrepair.

We hope investors and developers will continue to renovate dangerous properties. At some point, we must face the reality that the cost of living in the Bay Area exceeds the ability of portions of our population to afford to live here. Either we come up with creative solutions and massive funding strategies, which has not been done so far, or a lot of people will not be able to live here.

If you do the math, it becomes clear that even with the adoption of impact fees for affordable housing, Measure KK funds and the county-wide affordable housing measure, the revenues from the measures are not nearly enough to meet the demand for affordable housing. Clearly, the problem is inadequate supply, and that should be our focus.

We need a new and bold vision that allows developers of market rate housing to create housing options that are affordable by design. Some of that may include micro- units, modular units, and repurposing formerly industrial properties. Buildings that are occupied illegally may require extensive renovations, often including environmental clean-up.

New projects often offer a better use of space, creating a greater number of units per building, often including such amenities as commercial spaces and green spaces in areas that currently lack such amenities, bike racks and LEED certified designs. These features benefit the entire community.

Oakland is an attractive place to live and people want to live here. The good news is that Oakland has the land to accommodate new residents without displacing those that are already here, if we have the will to build a bigger city.

Oakland Post

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Bay Area

Oakland Awarded $28 Million Grant from Governor Newsom to Sustain Long-Term Solutions Addressing Homelessness

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the City of Oakland has won a$28,446,565.83 grant as part of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grant program. This program provides flexible grant funding to help communities support people experiencing homelessness by creating permanent housing, rental and move-in assistance, case management services, and rental subsidies, among other eligible uses.

Published

19 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the City of Oakland has won a$28,446,565.83 grant as part of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grant program.

This program provides flexible grant funding to help communities support people experiencing homelessness by creating permanent housing, rental and move-in assistance, case management services, and rental subsidies, among other eligible uses.

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and the Oakland City Administrator’s Office staff held a press conference today to discuss the grant and the City’s successful implementing of the Mayor’s Executive Order on the Encampment Management Policy.

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California Black Media

Gov. Newsom Signs Legislative Package to Increase Housing, Improve Accountability

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bipartisan legislative package to improve housing initiatives and address the homelessness crisis. The laws aim to streamline housing production and hold local governments accountable to state housing laws. The Legislature will enact over 30 new laws to strengthen housing protections for residents and improve transparency and efficiency for housing programs and initiatives.

Published

7 days ago

October 29, 2024

Oakland Post

On Sept. 19, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bipartisan legislative package to improve housing initiatives and address the homelessness crisis.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

The Legislature will enact over 30 new laws to strengthen housing protections for residents and improve transparency and efficiency for housing programs and initiatives.

“No more excuses. California is taking action to fix the decades-long homelessness, housing, and mental health crises,” said Newsom

“These new laws — paired with the state’s unprecedented resources — will deliver more housing, get people off the streets, and provide life-changing support that will benefit all Californians,” he said.

The bill package has new laws that mandate local governments to provide housing to vulnerable residents or low-income individuals experiencing homelessness. The laws will create strict timelines and robust requirements for local governments to report progress on housing and provide notice to the public, increasing accountability for local agencies. Under the new state laws, cities and counties that fail to adopt housing element revisions or approve housing developments will face monetary penalties for failing to comply with housing laws. The state will reduce regulatory barriers to promote housing near transit and provide incentives for accessory dwelling units as well as senior and student accommodation.

The bill package includes $2.2 billion in funding through Proposition 1 to build housing for veterans and individuals struggling with mental health or substance use disorders. The state plans to develop over 4,000 housing units and expand its HomeKey initiative to convert existing buildings into housing projects for homeless people statewide.

Oakland Post

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California Black Media

Controller Malia M. Cohen: Eligible Californians Can Now Apply for Property Tax Deferment

State Controller Malia M. Cohen announced last week that applications for property tax deferment began Oct. 1 and will continue through Feb. 10, 2025. The California’s Property Tax Postponement (PTP) Program “allows homeowners who are seniors, are blind, or have a disability, and who meet income and other requirements to postpone payment of property taxes on their primary residence,” according to Cohen’s office.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 22, 2024

Oakland Post

State Controller Malia M. Cohen. File Photo.

By Tanu Henry, California Black Media

State Controller Malia M. Cohen announced last week that applications for property tax deferment began Oct. 1 and will continue through Feb. 10, 2025.

The California’s Property Tax Postponement (PTP) Program “allows homeowners who are seniors, are blind, or have a disability, and who meet income and other requirements to postpone payment of property taxes on their primary residence,” according to Cohen’s office.

In the 2023-24 tax year, qualifying California homeowners were able to postpone over $6.2 million in residential property taxes.

Funding for the PTP program is limited and participants must reapply each year and demonstrate they continue to meet eligibility requirements. Recently, the program has been expanded to include manufactured homes, and the household income limit has been raised to $53,574. The increase, according to Cohen’s office, will help make more seniors and Californians with disabilities keep their homes.