Alameda County Housing and Community Development Department

Thanks Measure A1! Our new report shows that currently MA1 funds have been used to create 4,181 new affordable housing units. Measure A1 funds have leveraged an additional $3.3 Billion in total construction value countywide for a 1:7.5 leverage ratio. Every MA1 dollar that went into a rental units attracted more than 7 additional dollars for the project! Read more on the MA1 website at measurea1.acgov.org under Impacts. Michelle Starratt Jennifer Pearce Dylan Sweeney John Lo, JD Elizabeth Cook Anne Olivia Eldred, MELP

There's lots going on this month including our screening of The Apology on May 8 at 1:00 in Room 160 in the County Offices at 224 W. Winton Ave, Hayward! Register here: https://lnkd.in/g2JDaTkW. Each May, EBHO joins our partners across the Bay Area to host Affordable Housing Month. Look on EBHO's Calendar for a complete listing of AHM events at: https://lnkd.in/gyxqRzci. Affordable Housing Month is an opportunity to come together to build support for affordable housing, racial and economic justice, as well as educate our communities on how affordable housing benefits us all. Continuing last year’s 40th Anniversary theme, “Powerful Legacy, Powerful Future”, EBHO is excited to share lessons learned from leaders who came before us and look ahead to the future of housing justice in the East Bay and beyond. East Bay Housing Organizations Michelle Starratt Jennifer Pearce Dylan Sweeney John Lo, JD Elizabeth Cook

Affordable Housing Month is right around the corner in May! Look on EBHOI's Calendar for a complete listing of AHM events at: https://lnkd.in/gyxqRzci. And don't miss our screening of The Apology on May 8 at 1:00 followed by a panel discussion! Register here: https://lnkd.in/g2JDaTkW. East Bay Housing Organizations Michelle Starratt Jennifer Pearce Dylan Sweeney John Lo, JD Elizabeth Cook

Thanks, Measure A1! 255 people have been approved for down payment assistance through AC Boost. Approved applicants can borrow up to $210,000 in the form of a shared appreciation down payment assistance loan to buy a home in Alameda County. Over 20% of approved applicants are teachers! Learn more about the program at: www.acboost.org. Michelle Starratt Jennifer Pearce Dylan Sweeney John Lo, JD Elizabeth Cook

Another study on affordable housing has just come out from the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley. Reducing the Complexity in California’s Affordable Housing Finance System: https://lnkd.in/d3NtvgAc. One way to reduce the costs of affordable housing development is to reduce the complexity of the affordable housing finance system. Putting together sufficient public funding to build affordable housing is particularly hard in California, requiring that developers navigate multiple agencies and departments at both the state and local level. This fragmented funding landscape can increase complexity and extend the time it takes to build affordable housing, there by increasing the cost. Read about their recommendations to improve the system. Michelle Starratt Jennifer Pearce Dylan Sweeney John Lo, JD Elizabeth Cook

The California Housing Partnership’s latest Affordable Homes At Risk Reports underscore the growing risks of displacement for low-income Californians already struggling to find housing they can afford. The reports found: 18,056 subsidized affordable homes have been lost since 2000 189,000+ homes across Southern California, the Bay Area, Sacramento, and Fresno counties are no longer affordable for many residents and another 39,738 homes are at immediate risk of losing affordable rents. 39,738 homes are at immediate risk of losing their affordable rents, while up to 333,819 are at risk of losing their affordable rents in the near future. 49% of lost unsubsidized affordable rental homes were located in resource-rich areas that are hardest to replace. Read the reports at: https://lnkd.in/gp7j7V-G and https://lnkd.in/gx32Gjey Unless state and local governments take coordinated action, tens of thousands of low income renters could be displaced and tens of thousands of affordable homes could be lost, exacerbating the state's already severe housing challenges.

May is Affordable Housing Month! EBHO has a great calendar of activities to keep us all busy and focused on affordable housing. https://lnkd.in/g2WES9tG

April is National Fair Housing Month! The month celebrates the passage of the Fair Housing Act in April, 1968, a national law that prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, and gender. The Act was later amended to include protections for people with disabilities and families with children. In the State of California, there are additional protections for marital status, sexual orientation, ancestry, source of income and for arbitrary characteristics such as age or occupation. Read about Alameda County's Analysis to Impediments to Fair Housing Choice at: https://lnkd.in/gpMMkiRd. Michelle Starratt Jennifer Pearce Dylan SweeneyJohn Lo, JD Elizabeth Cook

Have you heard the news? In response to years of community advocacy, the United States Postal Service and Alameda County staff have changed a 60-year-old naming convention in the county's urban unincorporated communities to better reflect the specific community people live in. Residents of Ashland, Cherryland, Hayward Acres, Fairview, San Lorenzo, and Castro Valley will now see their community name accurately reflected as the default "Place Name" (where you would write the city or town) on USPS.com. When zip codes were first established in the 1960s, nearly 29,000 unincorporated-area addresses were assigned USPS Place Names based on zip code boundaries, including areas associated with the larger neighboring cities of Hayward and San Leandro. People affected by this will now begin seeing their unincorporated community name on their mail, and this name is now the default city or town to use for their address. More info and FAQs at: https://lnkd.in/gxf9KK7C. And don't worry, USPS will continue to accept mail with the old Place Name as long as you include the correct street name and ZIP Code. Michelle Starratt Jennifer Pearce Dylan Sweeney John Lo, JD Elizabeth Cook

Are you a rental housing provider in Unincorporated Alameda County? Join EBRHA's Rental Housing Networking Mixer on April 23, 5:30-7:30 at La Pinata San Leandro. Register at: https://lnkd.in/gYqWSjRh. The Housing Provider Resource Center is here to help you navigate the challenges of rental property management with confidence. The center can provide: *Ongoing support *Guidance on legal compliance *Tenant relations advice * Property management resources The Housing Provider Resource Center offers free assistance tailored to your needs — protecting your investment and helping you stay compliant. Michelle Starratt Jennifer Pearce Dylan Sweeney John Lo, JD Elizabeth Cook