City Government

Opinion: Oakland City Council Should Prioritize Affordable Housing Impact Fees

Published

10 years ago

November 10, 2015

By Pamela Hall, ACCE State Board Member

In November this year, the city of Oakland will be considering passing an impact fee, a one-time fee imposed on developers that ensures private developers pay their fair share in mitigating the needs for housing, services and infrastructure created by their new projects.

When new market-rate housing is developed, it brings in new, affluent residents. These residents need goods and services – and that means new low-wage or service sector jobs.

The retail workers, childcare providers and other people in these jobs can’t afford market-rate housing, so new development increases the need for affordable housing.

At ACCE (Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment), as a member-driven group organizing the flatland communities of east and west Oakland, we know that the shortage of affordable housing is the biggest crisis facing our city. At stake is the culture and vitality of Oakland’s long-standing communities, who are being displaced for the highest dollar.

The time is now for solutions, including impact fees and creating higher standards for development, affordable housing and jobs to lift up our communities and our workers.

Oakland is in a real estate boom – and predominantly African-American and Latino communities are collateral damage in the development frenzy enveloping our city.

As a housing advocate who works directly with folks impacted on the ground, I experience this every day. In 2012, rental costs shot up by 12 percent; in 2013, this number increased to 15 percent.

In the last 10 years alone Oakland has lost a quarter of its African-American population. This is despite an economic recovery that is bringing tens of thousands of jobs to the area. In fact, African-American median income declined from $42,975 in 2000 to $35,050 a decade later.

For these reasons, impact fees collected from developers should go, first and foremost, to building affordable housing so our communities can stay here.

Furthermore, the impact fee for affordable housing should not only be set at the highest level possible, but also be implemented as quickly as possible to take advantage of the scale and rapidity of development occurring now.

Housing impact fees demand greater accountability from the market-rate developers who contribute to the crisis of displacement in Oakland. This is the least that the City can demand from developers, and the least developers can contribute to the communities they are entering and profiting from.

Impact fees are not a new or risky policy move either. 27 other Bay Area cities have successfully implemented affordable housing impact fees, including cities like San Francisco, Emeryville, Berkeley and San Jose, with no major impacts on development or rents.

An affordable housing impact fee is the least the city of Oakland can do to help build permanently affordable homes for the city’s workers and families.

The time is now to place people over development.

Oakland requires over 7,000 new affordable housing units in the next 7 years. Its current plan will build only 1,500. With multiple developments in the pipeline, and Uber’s move into downtown Oakland there is a heightened need for impact fees. Thousands of low-wage jobs will be created, and these workers deserve to be able to live in Oakland and call this city their home.

If we are to maintain Oakland’s historic diversity, developers need to pay their fair share, to offset the impact of their development. An affordable housing impact fee is the least the city of Oakland can do to help build permanently affordable homes for the city’s workers and families.

We need an affordable housing impact fee, and we can’t wait any longer.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

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3 days ago

March 1, 2026

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The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 18 – 24, 2026

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February 20, 2026

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CITY OF SAN LEANDRO STATE OF CALIFORNIA PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ENGINEERING DIVISION NOTICE TO BIDDERS FOR ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III

WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of roadway paving, base cement stabilization, concrete curb ramps, driveways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic detection loops and pavement striping, and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 20, 2026

Oakland Post

PROJECT NO. 2020.0050

BID NO. 25-26.011

BID OPENING: The bidder shall complete the “Proposal to the City of San Leandro” form contained in the Contract Book. The proposal shall be submitted in its entirety. Incomplete proposals will be considered non-responsive. Sealed bids containing the completed Proposal Section subject to the conditions named herein and in the specifications for ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III/PROJECT NO. 2020.0050 addressed to the City of San Leandro will be received at City Hall, 835 East 14^th Street, 2^nd Floor San Leandro at the office of the City Clerk up to 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at which time they will be publicly opened and read.
WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of roadway paving, base cement stabilization, concrete curb ramps, driveways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic detection loops and pavement striping, and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.
OBTAINING THE PROJECT PLANS AND CONTRACT BOOK: The project plans and Contract Book may be obtained free of charge from the City’s website at:https://www.sanleandro.org/Bids.aspx Bidders who download the plans are encouraged to contact the City of San Leandro Public Works Department Engineering division at 510-577-3428 to be placed on the project planholder’s list to receive courtesy notifications of addenda and other project information. Project addenda, if any, will be posted on the website. A bidder who fails to address all project addenda in its proposal may be deemed non-responsive.Bidders may also purchase the Project Plans and Contract Book from East Bay Blueprint & Supply Co., at 1745 14^th Street, Oakland, CA 94606; Phone Number: (510) 261-2990 or email: ebbp@eastbayblueprint.com.
PRE-BID CONFERENCE: A mandatory pre-bid conference will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM and on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM as follows:
Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM
Zoom Meeting ID: 883 8752 6074
Passcode: 502955
Zoom Link: https://sanleandro-org.zoom.us/j/88387526074?pwd=hZ5rjB8AWdLAUem3CtByFiZxqKarHj.1
And
Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM
Zoom Meeting ID: 898 2672 0472
Passcode: 091848
Zoom Link: https://sanleandro-org.zoom.us/j/89826720472?pwd=JgZX2nXMpLSRM5xDPr7EJUxl7QIznr.1The information presented at the conferences will be identical, all bidders must attend one of the pre-bid conference and sign the attendance sheet. A firm that didn’t attend the pre-bid conference isn’t qualified to bid on the project.Questions regarding the plans and specifications may be submitted in writing to the project engineer until 5:00 p.m. five (5) days before, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, bids must be received by the City. The City will not respond to oral questions outside of the pre-bid conference. The response, if any, will be by written addendum only. Oral responses do not constitute a revision to these plans or specifications.
VALUE OF WORK: The Engineer has estimated that the value of work is between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000.
SAN LEANDRO BUSINESS PREFERENCE AND PARTICIPATION GOALS: The work performed under this contract is subject to Section 1-6-225 of the San Leandro Municipal Code regarding local business preference and participation. A list of companies that hold a San Leandro business license is located on the City webpage under the finance department, here: https://www.sanleandro.org/340/Business-License
SAN LEANDRO COMMUNITY WORKFORCE AGREEMENT: The work performed under this contract is subject to the Community Workforce Agreement adopted by City Council Resolution 2015-104. Contractors attention is directed to Section 10.