Shola Olatoye

City of Oakland Opens Clifton Hall In Rockridge To Unsheltered Seniors, Begins Moving in Families

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Oakland Clifton Hall Dorm In Rockridge

Oakland – The City of Oakland is now the official proud owner of Clifton Hall Dormitory in the amenity rich, transit-friendly Rockridge neighborhood. The 63-unit, unoccupied building will provide deeply affordable, long- and short-term housing for Oakland seniors and families. Funds for this acquisition were granted to the City of Oakland through the State’s Project … Read more

City of Oakland Granted $17M to Develop More Than 100 Units to House Unsheltered Residents

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City of Oakland

Oakland – The City of Oakland sent a press release to provide more background on the funds Eliane Brown secured for her housing project. Oakland reports that as part of its Project Homekey Initiative, the State of California has awarded the City of Oakland nearly $17.5 million of Project Homekey funding for two innovative housing projects that when complete, will offer 104 units of housing for people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness, including those recently released from incarceration.

The Inn at Temescal is a 22-unit hotel located at the corner of MacArthur Blvd. and Telegraph Avenue. Near to downtown Oakland, The Inn is close to BART and other service amenities, making for an accessible residential area.

Using a combination of City funds and Homekey grant funds from the State Housing & Community Development Department, community-based organization Operation Dignity and for-profit developer Danco Communities have entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement to acquire the property. This project will expand affordable housing opportunities and provide direct services to residents. Operation Dignity will lease the units to homeless individuals, working with them to secure longin partnership with the Oakland Housing Authority and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Sponsor team plans to acquire the site by the middle of December 2020. The Inn at Temescal is service-enriched housing for currently homeless veterans that will provide 21 units for residents, and one unit for a service manager.

392 11th Street, at Franklin
392 11th Street, at Franklin

392 Franklin St. is an 82-unit SRO (Single Room Occupancy) hotel that will provide housing for individuals recently released from nearby jails and prisons who are most impacted by COVID-19 and are at extraordinary risk of homelessness. BOSS (Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency) will act as the service provider and work in collaboration with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office to house those rapidly released due to overcrowding and the escalating spread of Coronavirus in the State’s prison facilities.

The City will partner the funds from Homekey Project with Oakland & The World Enterprises, Inc. (OAW), a local nonprofit organization, McCormak Baron Salazr, Memar Properties, Inc., and FPI Management to acquire the property.

“With these two projects, Oakland just created more than 100 new units of housing for our unsheltered residents, and with a special priority to take care of our American heroes — our veterans,” Mayor Libby Schaaf said. “Our City staff works tirelessly to end homelessness in our streets, and I’m grateful for Gov. Newsom’s leadership and his partnership, as we all work together to urgently address this crisis.”

“These two projects are excellent examples of how state and local funding merge with projects rooted in community organization to support sustainable solutions for combating the homeless crisis.” said Shola Olatoye, Housing & Community Development Director for the City.

Both projects will be complete and open to welcome residents in early 2021.

Elaine Brown, Famed Oakland Black Panther, Gets $21 Million To House Formerly Incarcerated

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392 11th Street, at Franklin

Congratulations to Elaine Brown, the famed and legendary Oakland Black Panther, who is now CEO of the nonprofit Oakland & the World Enterprises, successfully gained $21 Million in Homekey program funds. Brown and her team will use the money to purchase the former Traveler’s Hotel at 392 11th Street, at Franklin, in downtown Oakland, from owner NDO Group, LLC.

Elaine-Brown-Oakland
Elaine-Brown-Oakland

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.” Brown, who has been a prisoner advocate for decades, stated, “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. 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 and Adhi Nagraj thanked the Governor, the State Department of Housing and the City of Oakland’s Housing Department, 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 Department 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 11th and Franklin.—Frazier stated he is constantly hunting for decent, affordable housing for vulnerable individuals and families, and applauded this opportunity.

Note: this post based on a press release issued by Elaine Brown.

Oakland Awarded $20 Million For Permanently Affordable Housing

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Oakland Clifton Hall Dorm In Rockridge

City of Oakland Awarded $20M in California State Homekey Funding

Projects to provide 163 units of permanently affordable housing for homeless and those vulnerable to homelessness

Oakland –– Yesterday, the City of Oakland was awarded $20 million for two housing projects targeting some of the City’s most vulnerable residents. Governor Newsom announced the Homekey awards as the next phase in the state’s response to protecting Californians experiencing homelessness who are impacted by COVID-19.

“This announcement from Gov. Newsom will help us alleviate the human suffering of homelessness in Oakland,” said Mayor Libby Schaaf. “Homekey gives us the resources to convert existing facilities into permanently affordable housing for our unsheltered residents right now, and it paves the way for more innovative strategies in the future. I’m grateful for the Governor’s leadership and partnership as we continue to work together to end homelessness.”

The projects awarded include funds to purchase Clifton Hall, a California College of the Arts dormitory in Rockridge that offers 63 units for seniors and families; and Project Reclamation managed by Bay Area Community Services (BACS) for the development of 100 units at 20 scattered sites throughout Oakland for families and individuals.

“These funding awards mark another important milestone in our goal to preserve, produce, and protect housing for Oakland residents,” said Housing & Community Development Director Shola Olatoye. “We are proud to work with our partnering agencies to develop these units and move people off the streets and into housing.”

Homekey, administered by California Housing & Community Development, is the state’s $600 million program for purchasing and rehabilitating housing, including hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings and other properties, converting them into permanent, long-term housing for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness.

More information on the City’s Clifton Hall Dormitory project.

Post based on press release to Zennie62Media from City of Oakland.

City of Oakland Gets $4.5M In CARES Act Money For Low-and-Moderate-Income Renters And Homeowners

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City of Oakland

City of Oakland Awarded $4.5M in CARES Act Funding to Support Low- and Moderate-Income Renters and Homeowners Affected by COVID-19

Oakland –– The City of Oakland was awarded $4,532,841 in Community Development Block Grant CARES Act (CDBG-CV) funding by the United States Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD). The funds will provide housing service support to prepare for, prevent, and respond to the impacts that the Coronavirus pandemic have had and continue to have on low- to moderate-income renters and homeowners of Oakland.

CDBG is a division of the City’s Housing & Community Development Department that works to support decent housing, suitable living environments, and economic opportunities, principally for community low – and moderate-income individuals. CDBG-CV housing service categories for this award are:

Housing Stabilization & Protection
Affordable Housing Operations Support
Production and Preservation

“The focus of our department’s efforts is on the preservation, protection, and production of housing solutions”, said Shola Olatoye, Director of Housing & Community Development. “This latest CARES Act funding award will help support these efforts and move us closer to this goal.”

The City recently released this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to attract partnering agencies who will process applications and award financial assistance to renters and homeowners in compliance with CDBG-CV regulations. The CDBG division will monitor the overall process working closely with each agency to ensure compliance and targeted outcomes.

Agencies must have a registered account with the City of Oakland’s iSupplier online system to view and respond to this RFQ.

Apply:

Register with City of Oakland’s iSupplier
Respond to RFQ No. 228530

More application information and support:

Program information: Gregory Garrett, CDBG Manager,

[email protected]

General RFQ information: Paula Peav, Contract Analyst, [email protected]

This is the latest CARES Act-funded grant program launched by the City of Oakland. Grant programs for low-income renter and homeowner relief launched earlier this month. Learn more about the programs supported by the City’s $36.9 million in CARES Act Funding:
https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/coronavirus-aid-relief-and-economic-security-cares-act-funding

Post based on press release from City of Oakland to Zennie62Media.

City of Oakland Receives Millions More For Affordable Housing Development Projects

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City of Oakland

City of Oakland Receives Over $20 Millions Affordable Housing Development Projects Oakland – After recently receiving nearly $90 million in awards for affordable housing developments, the City of Oakland is pleased to announce additional awards of $15 million in competitive funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (CA HCD) Multi-Family Housing Program … Read more