Housing

Oakland is working to reduce racial disparities and promote economic security and opportunity for residents, especially those living in underserved neighborhoods in East Oakland. After partnering and engaging with communities in East Oakland, city officials created the Better Neighborhoods, Same Neighbors plan, which was awarded a $28.2 million multi-year Transformative... Read more

Cities and counties throughout the Bay Area face a dire affordable housing crisis. In Alameda County alone, homelessness grew by 40% from 2015 to 2017, with 41% of those experiencing homelessness reporting that a serious mental illness (SMI) impacted their ability to obtain housing. The County has been experiencing a... Read more

Stockton, like many cities across the nation, is facing sharply declining levels of affordable housing and a growing number of people experiencing homelessness. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated this crisis. The City is working to alleviate housing insecurity among its residents, including increasing and preserving affordable housing, creating protections for... Read more

In a 2017-2018 annual report, only 6 percent of San Jose residents described the availability of affordable housing as “excellent” or “good.” To that end, the San Jose City Council created a Rent Stabilization Program. To ensure the program’s success, Housing Department officials seek to evaluate the program and its... Read more

Gentrification in Oakland has significantly impacted renters, who comprise 59 percent of households and pay some of the highest rents in the nation. Compounding the issue, a lack of robust data makes it difficult for policymakers to respond to unjust evictions and illegal rent increases. To address this problem, the... Read more

Oakland seeks to prioritize housing that is both safe and affordable. Yet the city continues to see a proliferation of living situations that are not compliant with municipal building codes and safety standards. In response, the City has enacted several policies to increase staffing and improve technology for building inspections... Read more

San Francisco is piloting an innovative model of healthcare for adults experiencing homelessness. The city and county’s Whole Person Care program assesses patient needs based on a variety of factors that can affect a person’s wellbeing, including housing status, mental health, substance abuse, and involvement with the criminal justice system.... Read more

Washington DC has a real-estate portfolio worth more than $11 billion, making it the second largest real-estate owner in the district. The Department of General Services (DGS) oversees the district’s land assets and ensures that publicly owned properties are used for maximum community benefit. To work toward this mission, DGS... Read more

To help reduce homelessness and increase affordable housing, the Los Angeles Department of Housing and Community Investment is working to establish a Housing Finance Agency (HFA) to develop its own financial resources. To that end, FUSE Executive Fellow David Spirakis created a business plan and organizational structure for the HFA,... Read more

Housing affordability has become increasingly urgent across California. According to recent data, nearly half of all homeowners in Long Beach spend more than 30 percent of their total monthly income on rent or mortgage payments. To ease the pressure on residents, Long Beach engaged FUSE executive fellow Rick Ryba to... Read more