KEEP OAKLAND HOUSED
At a Glance
RATIONALE:
Oakland’s affordable housing crisis is primarily fueled by the low supply of housing across the Bay Area relative to the high demand. This supply-demand imbalance drives up the cost of housing which directly correlates to the amount of homelessness and displacement we see. The reason for historically low housing production in the Bay Area and Oakland in particular is racist policies of exclusionary zoning, redlining, and other policies to limit increases in housing and the influx of Black and Brown residents into historically white neighborhoods. The only effective solution to our affordable housing crisis is to build more housing of all types (with a focus on affordable housing) and in every neighborhood (with a focus on lower-density transit-rich neighborhoods where affordable housing production has historically been limited).
Loren believes that bureaucratic processes and regulations, often presented as safeguards, are being weaponized to block projects that would otherwise provide crucial benefits — such as affordable housing and equitable access to resources including living wage jobs, high-performing public school systems, and basic amenities like grocery stores, pharmacies, and banks. It is important to Loren that the city government remove barriers and reduce the cost of housing development (both market rate and affordable).
KEY STRATEGIES:
1.1 Develop upzoning policies that are integrated into the city’s General Plan Update that is already under way – with a focus on neighborhoods that have historically remained under-developed due to exclusionary zoning practices
1.2 Require greater transparency into decision-making and justification when council votes against the decision rendered by the Planning Commission, so that we minimize and eliminate unjustified delays in housing production
1.3 Continue advocating for statewide and Federal policies that increase high density housing development including up-zoning similar to advocacy for recent measures – AB 2011 and SB 10
RATIONALE:
In order to grow housing at the pace needed to address Oakland’s housing needs, we must increase the available funding, identify additional land to build new housing, improve city contracting for affordable housing development, and speed up the permitting and review process in a way that doesn’t compromise critical quality and environmental considerations. In determining the mix of housing to be built, we will focus on (1) low and extremely low-income housing as well as (2) the missing middle of housing (duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes) throughout the city.
Funding for Affordable Housing: There is far too little funding devoted to subsidized affordable housing, especially for those with the greatest need. More money is needed to tackle the problems of homelessness and displacement.
Land for Affordable Housing: Given the high amount of under-utilized public and private land in Oakland, we have to more aggressively activate those parcels and vacant buildings for housing production similar to Loren’s efforts to bring more than 800 units of affordable housing to District 6 over the past 4 years by working with public, private, and philanthropic partners.
Faster housing development: Our difficult and inefficient permitting process has allowed special interest groups and wealthier communities/individuals to block housing – particularly low-income housing – adding delays and costs to building housing and limiting the amount of housing that actually gets built. Loren is a strong proponent of efforts to reimagine Oakland’s planning and permitting processes to more effectively and efficiently move valuable housing projects through the zoning, planning, and permitting process.
KEY STRATEGIES:
2.1 Increase funding for housing development
2.2 Increase land available for housing development
2.3 Accelerate housing development
RATIONALE:
To ensure both housed and unhoused neighbors feel safe and supported by the City.
Loren will build on his work spearheading the development of Oakland’s first-ever homeless Encampment Management Policy (EMP), which engaged over 1,200 Oakland residents in a 9-month planning process that led to policies related to encampments near schools, reducing chronic homelessness, eliminating dangerous encampment fires and limiting violence, crime, and illegal dumping in and around encampments. This policy has provided strategic direction but Oakland has not seen the full benefits of the policy because it has been inadequately funded and has not been fully implemented. In Loren’s first 100 days as Mayor, he will adequately resource the teams responsible for monitoring of compliance with the EMP and its full implementation.
KEY STRATEGIES:
3.1 Adequately resource the teams responsible for implementing the Encampment Management Policy and monitoring compliance
3.2 Publish Monthly Encampment Management policy progress reports
3.3 Establish a legal and administrative solution to stopping re-encampments of high sensitive areas where an encampment has been recently closed.
3.4 Ensure adequate health and hygiene solutions (garbage pickup, porta-potties, and wash stations) for low-sensitivity encampments with at least 10 unhoused residents.
3.5 Increased education and promotion of resources to help unhoused residents transition to housing in parallel with implementation of the EMP
RATIONALE:
To better support our unhoused neighbors with effective delivery of crisis response, short and long-term housing programs, mental health and other services.
A recent Audit of Oakland’s Homelessness Services (HSA) found that existing city programs are poorly managed and are yielding “mixed results.” The primary issue is that 85% of funds are directed to homelessness service providers who deliver services with limited consistency in data collection, contract management, and performance evaluation HSA. As Mayor, Loren will draw on his experience leading the creation of a global contracting and procurement organization for a multi-billion dollar multinational corporation to overhaul Oakland’s homelessness contracting, and strengthen the data systems and performance-oriented culture within our homelessness operations.
KEY STRATEGIES:
4.1 Establish a strategic plan with goals and objectives aligned to corresponding strategies and an annual work plan designed to achieve meaningful program outcomes.
4.2 Improve data quality and measurement within the Human Services Division by:
4.3 Overhaul contract monitoring by:
4.4 Double investments into and scale of homeless services (e.g., outreach, workforce development, mental health, etc.) with a singular focus on transitioning residents from the streets to sustainable housing solutions
4.5 Implement an “Oakland First” Policy whereby services, investments, housing opportunities, and other resources are allocated to long-timer Oaklanders 7+ years in our city over those who have been here less than 7 years
RATIONALE:
To prevent residents from becoming newly displaced or permanently unhoused.
On the city council, Loren co-authored legislation to improve just cause and tenant protection legislation in Oakland, working to ensure that tenant protections were balanced with necessary support for “mom and pop” rental property owners.
To protect renters, Loren will ensure adequate funding and enforcement of existing tenant protections and address inadequate housing policies. To assist small mom and pop landlords, he will fully support Oakland’s Rental Assistance Program (RAP) to provide critical services to rental property owners, ensuring the development of a rental registry will provide a fact base for well-informed policies that balance the needs of all stakeholders. And Loren will ensure that new housing is built without pushing out existing residents including the enforcement of Oakland’s Right to Return and Just Cause eviction protections.
KEY STRATEGIES:
5.1 Ensure the build-out of a robust rental registry that will inform data-driven and equity-aligned tenant/landlord policies and practices
5.2 Rationalize existing tenant/landlord policies to support both tenants and small rental property owners while minimizing undesired harmful effects on either group
5.3 Adequately resource the Rental Assistance Program to support both tenants and small rental property owners with education, outreach, legal assistance, and consultations
5.4 Actively enforce tenant protections including Just Cause Evictions & Right to Return policies
RATIONALE:
To strengthen homeownership in lower-income and BIPOC communities.
Oakland’s historic focus on housing has been to help low-income residents rent versus own property, relegating them to perpetually renting and limiting their focus and ability to build equity and strengthen their economic positions. As Mayor, Loren will invest in the creation and marketing of home ownership programs that help simultaneously build housing and economic security.
KEY STRATEGIES:
6.1 Establishing mechanisms for supporting tenant rent-to-own programs.
6.2 Seeking and applying for even more federal, state, and county resources for home ownership
6.3 Supporting homeownership programs in the City
6.4 Continuing to support the City participation in advancing affordable homeownership housing developments through project subsidization, enhanced community engagement, and removal of unnecessary bureaucracy.
6.5 Working with County and the Oakland Housing Authority’s homebuyer programs to increase access for Oakland residents in addition to increasing funding for Oakland’s first-time homebuyer assistance program
6.6 Increasing funding for repair and improvement programs for low-income and seniors
6.7 Advancing the policy priority that Loren established as a councilmember to reform the probate system so that low-income and minority homeowners can maintain intergenerational wealth without having that legacy wealth of our seniors siphoned away unnecessarily.
6.8 Increasing educational resources for families so that they can keep homes in family and potentially convert those homes into revenue sources to offset costs of homeownership
