East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation and Allied Housing Celebrate Groundbreaking for 59 Deeply Affordable Homes in West Oakland

OAKLAND, CA – Today, the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) and Allied Housing Inc., together with the West Oakland community celebrated the groundbreaking of West Grand & Brush, a 59-unit 100 percent affordable housing development located at the intersections of West Grand Avenue, 22nd Street, and Brush Street in West Oakland.

West Grand & Brush will provide homes at the deepest levels of affordability, targeting families and those with special needs earning between 15 and 70 percent Area Median Income (AMI), with 30 units dedicated to formerly homeless households.

“With our headquarters and Avalon Senior Housing serving as anchors along the San Pablo Avenue corridor in Oakland and into Emeryville, we are excited to bring yet another 100 percent affordable housing project to West Oakland,” said Andy Madeira, CEO of EBALDC. “We thank our many partners at the local and state levels, and especially the San Pablo Area Revitalization Collaborative, in sharing in our vision of an East Bay where everyone has a place to call home and the resources to thrive.”

_{(l-r) Christia Mulvey (Manager, Housing & Community Development, City of Oakland), Capri Roth (EBALDC EVP, Real Estate Development), Ener Chiu (EBALDC EVP Community Building), Dave Peters (EBALDC Board Member), Cindy Wu (Executive Director, LISC Bay Area)}

West Grand & Brush will deliver critically needed affordable homes along the San Pablo Avenue corridor and help advance the San Pablo Area Revitalization Collaborative (SPARC) affordable housing goals. With more than 25 residents, organizations, and institutions working together, SPARC aims to ensure future development and growth that will benefit the long-time residents that live near and along the 1.5 miles of the San Pablo Corridor.

Allied Housing Inc. is the supportive housing development entity of Abode Services and partnered with EBALDC on the development of West Grand & Brush. Abode Services will also provide on-site supportive services to residents.

“We’re excited to join EBALDC and the Oakland community to celebrate the groundbreaking for West Grand & Brush and the much-needed affordable housing it will provide,” said Louis Chicoine, Abode Services’ longtime chief executive officer. “The addition of nearly 60 affordable homes will address one of the area’s most pressing needs, helping some of our most vulnerable neighbors and making the surrounding community stronger.” 

_{EBALDC Board of Directors (l-r): Rosalyn Tonai, Chris Ferreira, Beth Rosales, Agnes Ubalde, Sean Sullivan (Chair), Christine Carr, Leslie Francis, Dave Peters}

The project is supported by 28 Project Based Vouchers (PBV) through the Oakland Housing Authority (OHA).

“West Grand and Brush [apartment homes] is an example of what is possible when an entire housing-focused community comes together to solve the problems of housing affordability and homelessness,” said Patricia Wells, executive director of the Oakland Housing Authority. “More than the construction of housing units, we celebrate lives—families with children, individuals with special needs, and our unhoused neighbors—who will be positively impacted by having quality homes and access to the services that lead to health, wellness, opportunity, and stronger communities.”

_{(l-r) Fathia Macauley (Housing Trust Silicon Valley), Noni Ramos (Housing Trust Silicon Valley, Agnes Ubalde (EBALDC Board Member)}

Many West Oakland neighbors and community leaders attended the celebration, including former co-chair and current board member of West Oakland Neighbors, Ray Kidd.

“We do not now know which particular individuals and families will be living in these units.  But we do know one thing, the residents here will be among the people most in need of housing,” said Ray Kidd long-time neighborhood resident. “In the meantime, we can honor those who struggle on the local level to create the kind of housing that will be built here, and that can greatly improve the lives of those who will be living here.”

The project was made possible with the support of EBALDC and Allied Housing’s financing partners; JP Morgan Chase, City of Oakland, Alameda County, State of California, Oakland Housing Authority, Federal Home Loan Bank, Community Vision, NeighborWorks Capital, Community for Supportive Housing, Housing Trust of Silicon Valley, Partnership for the Bay’s Future Community Housing Fund, and LISC Bay Area.

“East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation and Allied Housing, Inc. are not only delivering needed affordable housing to the community, they are also providing permanent supportive housing options for formerly homeless individuals and families in Oakland,” said James Vossoughi, executive director for Community Development Banking at JP Morgan Chase. “We’re thrilled to support West Grand & Brush and work with industry leaders like EBALDC and Allied Housing, who are dedicated to creating affordable housing opportunities.”

Amenities at West Grand & Brush will include a laundry room, a community room with a demonstration kitchen, an outdoor landscaped courtyard on the second floor, and an outdoor deck space on the fifth floor. Construction is expected to be completed in the summer of 2024.

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About EBALDC
The East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) is a nonprofit community development organization celebrating over 47 years of bringing people and resources together to build healthy, vibrant, and safe neighborhoods where everyone has a place to call home.  EBALDC partners with residents and local leaders to co-create neighborhood solutions, so everyone plays a role in shaping their future and strengthening their community fabric.  EBALDC is one of the region’s leading affordable housing developers and serves more than 6,000 people and 114 small businesses and nonprofits annually.  For more information, visit www.ebaldc.org. Find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram: @EBALDC.

About Allied Housing
Allied Housing is the supportive housing development entity of Abode Services. Allied Housing builds new homes and converts existing buildings into sites that provide housing and services for those in need. Abode Services is the largest homeless housing and services provider in the San Francisco Bay Area. They operate nearly 60 programs that utilize a combination of housing and wrap-around social services to support those coming out of homelessness. For more information, visit https://www.abodeservices.org