Commercial Real Estate
August 2019

Oakland on course to create more new housing units than SF in 2019

From San Francisco Chronicle
Builders in Oakland are on course to create more new housing units than San Francisco this year, a notable role reversal for a city that has long produced far less residential development than its wealthier and more bustling neighbor across the bay. The deluge of apartments is leading — at least temporarily — to a renters’ market in Oakland. From the Broadway Valdez neighborhood to Lake Merritt, developers are jockeying to attract well-paid Millennials not only with amenities such as yoga studios, dog-washing facilities and swimming pools, but also with concessions... View article
Commercial Real Estate
July 2019

At home at BART

From San Francisco Chronicle
The average BART rider may not know the term “transit-oriented development,” but when trains enter Oakland’s MacArthur Station, they see it face-to-face. A seven-story building with lime-green accents covers land that five years ago held parking lots. It’s part of a 385-unit apartment complex being marketed as “sleek and modern with a retro vibe … perfect for your life on the go.” A few yards away, workers have nearly completed the concrete frame for a 24-story apartment tower that will open next spring. MacArthur’s transformation isn’t an isolated event. Construction is... View article
Media
June 2019

Innovative Programs by Geisinger Health and Kaiser Permanente Are Moving Providers in Unexplored Directions in Support of Proactive Clinical Care

From Dark Daily
These initiatives are a call-to-action for clinical laboratories to contribute their expertise in support of wellness programs Two of the largest healthcare systems in America are moving in non-traditional directions to proactively address certain healthcare populations. Most recently, Kaiser Permanente announced it will be investing millions of dollars to tackle homelessness and the disease outbreaks associated with it. The health system is even investing in a housing complex in Oakland, Calif., which it hopes will help patients in that area who face housing insecurity. Kaiser’s new direction mirrors a similar project by Geisinger Health designed... View article
Commercial Real Estate
June 2019

Crave BBQ chef opens Grammie’s Down-Home Chicken & Seafood in Oakland

From Berkeleyside
Last year, the local food media was buzzing when news emerged that Rashad Armstead, the chef behind Oakland pop-up Crave BBQ, was opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant at the historic California Hotel in West Oakland. It was to be a permanent place for Armstead to serve his smoked meats and Southern-style sides that first got attention from his pop-ups at the Ashby flea market in Berkeley and at a gas station parking lot in West Oakland. But Armstead was also excited to partner with the hotel’s owner, non-profit East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation... View article
Media
May 2019

People on the Move 5.15.19

From Housing Finance
Jim Mather has been named chief investment officer at BRIDGE Housing, effective June 3. He will be responsible for developing and pursuing the overall capital strategy for the company, including several enterprise-level capital-raising initiatives as well as securing project-level debt and equity for BRIDGE developments. The industry veteran joins BRIDGE from Housing Trust Silicon Valley, where he has served as chief lending officer since 2013. Previously, he was the interim director of finance for East Bay Asian Local Development Corp. and has held various senior roles in community development banking at Union... View article
Commercial Real Estate
May 2019

Bites: Grégoire reopens after fire, Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement stays in Emeryville

From Berkeleyside
CRAVE BBQ UPDATE This week, Oakland pop-up Crave BBQ announced it will no longer be moving into the California Hotel in West Oakland. Last November, Nosh reported that Crave chef Rashad Armstead would partner with East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC), the non-profit working to turn the historic building into a visual and performing arts hub. Crave BBQ had intentions to open a brick-and-mortar, start a food incubator program to train young up-and-coming restaurant entrepreneurs, and open a blues café at the hotel. In Tuesday’s Crave BBQ newsletter, Armstead said the plans would... View article
Media
May 2019

Legislation to Establish Major New Incentive for Affordable Housing in Opportunity Zones Clears Key Committee

From Davis Vanguard
Unanimous Bipartisan Support For Legislation that would address concerns from the 2017 federal tax overhaul and build on Governor Newsom’s call for California to direct investments in low income census tracts (From Press Release) – Yesterday, the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee voted unanimously to advance legislation by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D – San Fernando Valley) that would provide a major new incentive for the production and preservation of affordable housing in low income census tracts known as “Opportunity Zones.”  The legislation—Assembly Bill (AB) 791—would provide $200 million in new tax... View article
Media
April 2019

Why housing is now a health issue for Kaiser Permanente

From San Francisco Business Times
Over the eight years that Brian Hopkins has lived in his East Oakland apartment, he’s seen many of his neighbors wind up on the streets. “You know tent city? That was a lot of the people who lived on this block,” said 35-year-old Hopkins, who currently works staffing events at venues like Levi’s Stadium and the Coliseum. “I know them personally, friends’ moms, aunties.” Kaiser Permanente noticed the bulging homeless population in its hometown, too. It also knows the toll it takes on people’s health, with a recent study in a major medical journal finding... View article
Media
March 2019

Bringing education closer to home helps vulnerable kids

From EdSource
Governor Newsom has set a bold vision for California, which includes alleviating child poverty, preventing homelessness and strengthening affordable housing. Taking on these issues may seem overwhelming, but there is good news: an existing model in our backyard can help make progress on all three of these challenges. Jennifer Peck It all started with a simple idea. We know that afterschool programs make a difference: kids have better school attendance, stronger social-emotional skills and graduate at higher rates. At the same time, kids who live in affordable or public housing developments are often the most vulnerable... View article
Media
March 2019

In Oakland and elsewhere, health care is investing in affordable housing

From Marketplace
When an apartment building sells in gentrifying parts of Oakland, California, tenants often brace themselves for the worst. Rent hikes, disruptive renovations and evictions can follow. But when one building recently changed hands, city officials and housing activists celebrated. Kensington Gardens, a 41-unit building in the working-class, immigrant neighborhood of San Antonio, was sold last November. “I was feeling somebody was going to get it and they were going to raise the rent,” said Ameria Lipscomb, who lives in a first-floor studio in Kensington. Tenants there generally pay below-market rents. When the building... View article
Media
February 2019

Advocacy and More: Philanthropy’s Role in Two Big New Initiatives to Tackle the Housing Crisis

From Inside Philanthropy
Housing affordability may be the toughest challenge now facing major metro areas in the U.S., especially in affluent coastal areas. Last month, California’s new governor, Gavin Newsom, made this issue a top priority, committing significant new resources to housing in his proposed state budget. Other public leaders have been stepping up, too, including New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. Pressure is also growing on both business and philanthropy to do more to ensure housing affordability. And in recent weeks, we’ve seen dramatic movement along these lines. One such effort is focused... View article