Affordable housing advocates build a week of discussion and action
By OaklandSeen.com | Published May 05, 2010
OaklandSeen
Virtually every East Bay city faces a shortage of affordable housing for its residents. The problem is exacerbated in Oakland by the high rate of home foreclosures, following the collapse of the housing “bubble.” As California prepares to implement its landmark climate change legislation, AB 32 and SB 375, local communities confront a new challenge, enacting “smart growth” policies that will meet the twin goals of creating sustainable communities and providing desperately needed affordable housing.
The East Bay Housing Organizations’ symposium, State of Housing in the East Bay, will explore what local communities can learn from non-profit developers who have evolved innovative solutions to Oakland and the region’s affordable housing crisis. The free event will take place Thursday, May 13, 3 to 6 p.m. at the LEED-certified David Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way in Berkeley.
The symposium is just one of 17 events taking place during EBHO’s Affordable Housing Week, May 7 to 16, 2010. In its 14th year, the events are designed to demonstrate that affordable housing provides the foundation for healthy families and sustainable communities, and to showcase efforts to integrate low-income housing and into “smart growth” policies.
Highlights of this year’s Affordable Housing Week include the May 10th re-opening of Tassafaronga Village in East Oakland, a “green development” that includes 137 mixed-income rental units and 20 units of supportive housing for families who are affected by HIV/AIDS. On May 14th in Downtown Oakland, the Alameda County Public Health Department and Human Impact Partners will hold a panel presentation on “Health and Affordable Housing: Understanding and Leveraging the Links.” Housing Sabbath, which links the Interfaith community with housing advocates, will take place in various congregations throughout the East Bay during the weekend of May 14 – 16.
Quality affordable housing allows workers to live near their jobs, giving parents more time with their children; seniors and people with special needs are able to live independently in their communities. Clustering affordable housing in transit-oriented developments reduces traffic and greenhouse gases, and enhances the triple bottom line, providing social, environmental and financial benefits for residents and neighbors alike.
by Bradley Cleveland
Founded in 1984, EBHO and its 250 members work with communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties to preserve, protect and expand affordable housing opportunities through education, advocacy, and coalition building. For more information about Affordable Housing Week, visit www.EBHO.org/AHW2010.
Affordable housing advocates build a week of discussion and action |