AGENDA MEMO TO : Oakland City Council and Members of the Public FROM: At-Large Councilmember Rowena Brown SUBJECT: RESOLUTION IN CELEBRATION OF MAY 2025 AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING MONTH AND RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR CREATING HEALTHY, SAFE, AND ECONOMICALLY VIBRANT COMMUNITIES DATE: May 1, 2025
City Council Colleagues and Members of the Public, As we enter the next phase of a difficult budget process, it is more important than ever to prioritize deeply affordable
housing
in
Oakland.
Quality
affordable
homes
are
vital
to
healthy,
safe,
and
racially
just
communities.
Increasing
housing
costs
lead
to
longtime
residents
being
displaced,
living
in
overcrowded
homes,
or
experiencing
homelessness,
threatening
our
region’s
racial
diversity
and
economic
opportunity.
There are concerted efforts underway to drastically reduce or altogether eliminate federal funding support for
affordable
housing.
Tens
of
millions
of
dollars
in
federal
housing
grants
have
already
been
canceled,
and
proposed
budgets
for
the
federal
Department
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development
threaten
existing
housing
voucher,
public
housing,
and
homelessness
assistance
programs,
leaving
communities
without
critical
support.
The
role
of
local
governments
and
regional
bodies
has
never
been
so
critical
in
maintaining
support
for
producing,
preserving,
and
protecting
affordable
housing
opportunities
for
low-income
communities.
East Bay Housing Organizations (EBHO) is a coalition of local organizations working to produce, preserve,
and
protect
affordable
housing,
and
has
organized
Affordable
Housing
Week
for
the
past
29 years.
The
City
is
proud
to
join
with
EBHO
and
other
local
housing
organizations
acknowledging
the
need
for
and
benefits
of
affordable
homes,
and
proclaiming
May
2025
as
Affordable
Housing
Month
in
Oakland.
Sincerely,
Rowena Brown City of Oakland, Councilmember At Large