May 3, 2022
Mayor's Office
DATE: May 3, 2022
TO: Members of the City Council
FROM:
Tom Butt, Mayor
Subject:
Affordable Housing Month – May 2022
FINANCIAL IMPACT: N/A
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
N/A
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
East Bay Housing Organizations has organized Affordable Housing Week, now Affordable Housing Month, for 26
years, acknowledging the need for and benefits of
affordable housing because the housing crisis and the
impacts of the coronavirus pandemic can only be resolved when the entire region takes action to expand affordable housing and stability.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
PROCLAMATION declaring May 2022 as Affordable
Housing Month in the City of Richmond – Mayor’s Office (Mayor Tom Butt 510-620-6503).
DISCUSSION:
Rising housing costs have led longtime residents to be displaced, live in overcrowded and substandard homes, or become homeless, threatening our region’s diversity and economic prosperity, and by creating new and permanently affordable homes and preserving and improving existing homes, we are making stable and vibrant communities, AGENDA
REPORT
May 3, 2022
helping residents maintain community roots, and fostering racial and economic diversity for generations.
Quality affordable housing is vital to healthy, safe, vibrant, and divers e communities, a fact highlighted by the coronavirus pandemic, and access to affordable homes is necessary to preserve individual and public health, such as sheltering -in-place and self- isolation.
Affordable homes are the solution to homelessness: they pr ovide support to seniors, families, youth, veterans, people recovering from illness, and people with disabilities; they provide better access to opportunities and amenities for low -income communities; and those close to public transit and a resident’s work place help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Local jurisdictions, non -profit organizations, community organizations, faith -based groups, and several others play an important role in solving these issues by raising local resources for affordable housing to leverage federal, state, and other funds and continue building inclusive communities that support low -income people and those with special needs.
The City of Richmond encourages community members to visit https://ebho.org/ to learn how we can make affordable homes for all a reality.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Proclamation