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Oakland Inclusionary Housing
Greenbelt Alliance is part of a broad coalition – Oaklanders
for Affordable Housing – urging
the Oakland City Council to adopt an inclusionary housing policy. An
inclusionary housing policy will require new housing developments to
include a percentage of homes that are affordable to people earning modest
incomes.
Inclusionary housing helps ensure affordably-priced homes are available
within cities, so that people don't have to move to the region's outskirts
to find a home they can afford. This takes development pressure off open
space, and enables people like teachers, nurses, and firefighters to
live in the communities they serve. More than 60 cities and counties
in the Bay Area have adopted inclusionary housing ordinances. As a major
city in the Bay Area, Oakland has a big responsibility – and opportunity
- to create more affordable places to live.
What's at Stake
The housing market in the Bay Area – including Oakland – is
out of balance. Recently, Oakland has experienced a burst of new housing
development, revitalizing its downtown.
However, many of these new luxury condos are too expensive for most Oakland
residents. Many of the people who keep Oakland running cannot afford
to live here: schoolteachers, hospital workers, government employees
and childcare providers. As a result workers are moving out to the region’s
edge where homes are cheaper and commuting long distances. The lack of
affordable homes makes everyone suffer.
Oakland must ensure that future development includes enough affordable
homes to maintain a strong local economy and to create mixed-income neighborhoods.
Building affordably-priced houses, townhomes and apartments will enable
people to live closer to jobs and will help businesses attract workers.
By building a range of housing options near jobs, shops, and transit,
we can reduce the amount of driving necessary in day-to-day life, prevent
increased traffic, and create more livable communities.
To download or view a toolkit on Inclusionary Housing, click here. For
more information, contact Kate O’Hara by email or at (415) 543-6771
x319.
What You Can Do
The Coalition has been urging the City to adopt an inclusionary
housing ordinance for over a year. In October 2006, the Council delayed
the adoption of an ordinance and opted for further study, instead.
You can help get an inclusionary housing ordinance in Oakland. Here’s
how:
1. Contact Oakland City Council members and let them know you support
an inclusionary housing ordinance. Click here for
their contact information.
Campaign Update
November 2006
In October, the Oakland City Council missed an opportunity to adopt an
inclusionary housing ordinance. The ordinance would have required all
new housing developments to include affordably-priced homes. The Council
instead opted for further study of the ordinance through a Blue Ribbon
Commission that would bring recommendations to the Council in January
2007. The Oaklanders for Affordable Housing, a broad coalition of which
Greenbelt Alliance is a member, had been urging the City to adopt this
ordinance immediately, particularly while the threat of Prop 90 loomed
ahead.
October 2006
On Tuesday, October 17, the Oakland City Council will vote on an inclusionary
housing ordinance. This ordinance would require all new housing developments
to include affordably-priced homes. The proposed ordinance will help
to create housing for families with a range of incomes, from $83,000
per year to less than $25,000 per year. Skyrocketing housing prices are
pushing families out of Oakland. With the median home price in Oakland
close to $500,000, many workers simply cannot afford to live there. An
inclusionary housing ordinance would ensure that new developments in
Oakland include homes that teachers, hospital workers, security guards
and retail clerks can afford.
September 2006
The Oakland City Council was scheduled to vote on a proposed inclusionary
housing ordinance on September 19th. That date, however, has not been
confirmed since the Council has returned from break. Greenbelt Alliance,
along with coalition partners, is contacting and meeting with City Councilmembers
to ensure this critical issue remains a high priority and moves forward
in a timely way. The City’s currently proposed ordinance serves
families earning between $50,280 and $83,800. Greenbelt Alliance is working
with a broad coalition to expand the ordinance to serve families earning
between $25,125 and $83,800.
June 2006
Oakland City Councilmembers have put forward an inclusionary housing
proposal that would serve a more narrow section of families earning higher
incomes, compared to the Coalition’s proposal released earlier
this year. Over the last month, the coalition has been meeting with city
council members to craft an ordinance that strikes a balance between
providing certainty for developers while serving Oakland’s severe
housing needs. In early June, a proposed ordinance was heard by the City
Council’s Community and Economic Development Committee as well
as the Planning Commission. These meetings have been an opportunity to
show broad support for an inclusionary housing ordinance that serves
a broad spectrum of Oakland’s families.
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