AGENDA MEMO TO : Oakland City Council and Members of the Public FROM: At-Large Councilmember Rowena Brown SUBJECT: Resolution In Recognition Of May 2026 As Affordable Housing Month And Recognizing The Importance Of Deeply Affordable Housing For Creating Healthy, Safe, And Economically Vibrant Communities DATE: May 19, 2026
City Council Colleagues and Members of the Public, Quality affordable homes are vital to healthy, safe, and sustainable communities. Rising housing costs displace
longtime
residents,
drive
overcrowding,
and
fuel
homelessness
—
threatening
our
region's
racial
diversity,
economic
opportunity,
and
shared
history.
The federal administration's efforts to reduce or completely eliminate affordable housing funding make local
and
regional
advocacy
more
critical
than
ever.
Millions
of
dollars
in
federal
housing
grants
have
already
been
canceled,
and
proposed
HUD
budgets
threaten
housing
vouchers,
affordable
development
projects,
and
homelessness
assistance
programs
that
our
communities
depend
on.
Despite these challenges, Oakland continues to lead in affordable housing development. The city is exceeding
its
California
Regional
Housing
Needs
Allocation
(RHNA)
targets
and
will
continue
to
support
all
Oaklanders
regardless
of
housing
status.
Long
delayed,
Measure
U
funds
are
finally
reaching
crucial
projects,
enabling
construction
to
begin
and
reaffirming
Oakland's
commitment
to
housing
its
most
vulnerable
residents.
With the newly created Office of Homelessness Solutions and its Homelessness Strategic Action Plan, Housing
&
Community
Development’s
Anti-Displacement
Strategic
Action
Plan,
and
the
Mayor's
5-Point
Plan,
the
alignment
of
intentions
and
resources
is
crucial
to
turn
our
commitment
into
action.
East Bay Housing Organizations (EBHO) has organized around Affordable Housing Month for decades, bringing
together
a
coalition
dedicated
to
producing,
preserving,
and
protecting
affordable
housing.
I
am
proud
to
join
EBHO
and
our
local
partners
to
continue
the
tradition
and
recognize
May
2026
as
Affordable
Housing
Month
in
Oakland.
Sincerely,
Rowena Brown City of Oakland, Councilmember At-Large