Media
July 2017

Opinion: In Oakland, people can’t find a place to call home

From East Bay Times
When my organization teamed up with the Oakland Housing Authority to develop our latest affordable housing complex, we knew there would be a lot of interest. In the face of soaring housing costs, the Bay Area has a well-documented shortage of affordable homes. True to our expectations, applications poured in for the new Prosperity Place building, which opened this year in Chinatown. By the end of the process, we had received a total of 12,000 applications — for just 71 new affordable apartments. Behind each and every one of those applications... View article
Media
July 2017

Swan’s Market Celebrates 100 Years

From Oakland Post
The East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) will host a celebration Friday, July 21, and Saturday, July 22, to mark 100 years of Swan’s Market, a registered historical building and renowned community gathering place in Old Oakland featuring commercial space, a food hall, and affordable housing. “Swan’s Market is a hallmark development for us and for Oakland,” said Joshua Simon, EBALDC executive director. Located at 510 Ninth St., Swan’s Market is a multi-faceted space with award-winning restaurants, community nonprofit organizations, service-oriented businesses, and affordable housing, all in one walking- and... View article
Media
June 2017

A Boot Camp for Non-Profits Combating Homelessness Across California

From Huffington Post
For the people dedicated to closing California’s housing gap through the complex and highly-regulated world of affordable home development, there is no roadmap. “We refer to regulations every day, all day long,” said Zohreh Khodabandelu, a project manager for Resources for Community Development, a Berkeley-based affordable housing developer that has built 2,200 homes in the Bay Area. “There is the financial part, rental market analysis, entitlement process, site feasibility, tax credits. Each project is comprised of many small pieces. We have to keep track of all of them.” For most project... View article
Media
June 2017

New podcast episode from the Federal Reserve highlights connection between health and economic opportunity

From Build Healthy Places Network
Did you know that each of the 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks has a community development function? The Community Development departments of the Federal Reserve System conduct outreach and research on issues facing low- and moderate-income households. Like many organizations across the country over the last few years, they understand the importance of looking at community and economic development through a health lens. “Health is a bigger concept than medical care,” according to David Erickson, community development officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. “It’s the sum record of... View article