City Government

Alameda County Launches $50 Million AC Boost Down Payment Assistance Program

Published

7 years ago

April 1, 2019

Funded by Measure A1 Affordable Housing Bond, Program expected to help over 350 households purchase their first homes in Alameda County

On March 20, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors announced the launch of AC Boost, a $50 million countywide down payment assistance loan program funded by the County’s 2016 Measure A1 Housing Bond.

The program offers shared equity loans of up to $150,000 to first-time homebuyers who live, work, or have been displaced from Alameda County. The program is administered by Hello Housing, a local affordable housing nonprofit organization, on behalf of the Alameda County Department of Housing and Community Development.

“I’m thrilled to see this much-needed workforce housing program be offered to our middle-income County residents. AC Boost will be a critical tool in ensuring that we’re able to provide access to affordable and stable housing for teachers, first responders, and other professionals in our community who have simply been priced out of homeownership in our County,” said Supervisor Wilma Chan, Chair of the Board of Supervisors Housing and Homelessness Committee.

Investing in homeownership. AC Boost demonstrates a crucial investment by Alameda County in homeownership, widely considered the primary long-term strategy for building household wealth, which is in turn one of the strongest determinants of health.

Benefits of homeownership for individual households include resilience against displacement pressures, the ability to build wealth in the form of home equity, the stabilization of housing and related costs, the pride of ownership, and access to economic opportunities that extend to future generations. At a community level, affordable homeownership has been shown to promote better health and education outcomes, civic engagement, and neighborhood stabilization.

Many decades of government policies promoting racial discrimination, coupled with discriminatory real estate and lending practices, have contributed to the persistence of profound racial disparities in homeownership.

These disparities in turn play an outsize role in perpetuating a staggering racial wealth gap.

For example, the rate of African American homeownership lags behind the rate of White homeownership by 30 percentage points, a key factor in limiting the median wealth of African-American households to less than 10 percent that of White households.

“Homeownership remains the single greatest way to build wealth in America, yet coming up with the 20 percent down payment needed to break into homeownership requires you already have access to wealth.

AC Boost is designed to eliminate this self-perpetuating barrier, opening up the benefits of homeownership to communities of color who have traditionally been excluded,” said Mardie Oakes, President, Hello Housing.

Program Requirements.

–Eligible buyers must currently live or work in Alameda

County or have been displaced from a home in Alameda County in the last 10 years.

–A preference is available for First Responders and Educators, including licensed childcare providers.

— Loan limits are $150,000 for households that earn less than 100 percent of the Area Median Income (e.g. annual income of $104,400 for a household of four) and $100,000 for households with a median income between 100 percent and 120 percent AMI (e.g. annual income of $125,280 for a household of four).

— Loans are shared appreciation loans, with no interest and no monthly payments.

–Eligible buyers also must be able to provide their own down

payment funds of at least 3 percent of the purchase price and must be qualified for a first mortgage from a participating lender.

— Eligible homes include single family homes, condos, townhomes and live/work units in Alameda County that will be owner-occupied by the buyer within 60 days of purchase.

Application Process.

Interested homebuyers should submit a pre-application on ACBoost.org by April 26, 2019, to be entered into a random lottery. Households with top-ranking lottery numbers will be invited to attend a mandatory workshop, then invited to submit a full application with supporting documentation within 21 days of the workshop.

Full applications will be considered on a “first completed” basis, and conditionally approved applicants have an initial 90 days to enter into a purchase contract.

There is a preference for Educators and First Responders, who will be entered into a preference lottery as well as the general lottery (definitions of those eligible for the preference may be found at https://www.acboost.org/check-eligibility).

Subsequent application periods are expected to be opened periodically until the funds are exhausted. Loan repayments will recycle back into the program to fund new down payment assistance loans.

For more information and full program details:

www.ACBoost.org (510) 500-8840 acboost@hellohousing.org

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The Marin City Flea Market Is Back

The Marin City Flea Market returns on May 23, offering arts, crafts, vintage items, and collectibles. The market aims to uplift local vendors and celebrate cultural diversity.

Published

20 hours ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Customers shopping in Marin City Flea Market. Photo courtesy of marincityflea.org.

By Godfrey Lee

After a long absence, Marin City will once again hold its flea market. The market will have its grand opening on Saturday, May 23, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church parking lot on 101 Donahue St. It will be held every fourth Saturday of the month

The market will be free to the public

There will be arts, crafts, vintage, collectibles, and other items on sale at the market. Interested vendors can contact info@marincityflea.org or text (415) 484-2984 for more information.

“The Marin City Flea Market’s mission is to uplift local vendors, celebrate cultural diversity, and provide an accessible community space where creativity, entrepreneurship, and connection can thrive,” says their website, marincityflea.org.

The flea market is sponsored and run by the Rotary Club of Marin City.

For more information, contact info@marincityflea.org. Or text to (415) 484-2984

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Amsterdam News

School District Extends Supt. Dr. Denise Saddler’s Contract for a Second Year

The Oakland Board of Education has extended Superintendent Denise Saddler’s contract through June 2027, promoting her from interim to permanent superintendent with a salary of $367,765.45 per year.

Published

20 hours ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Supt. Dr. Denise Saddler. File photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland Board of Education voted this week to extend Superintendent Denise Saddler’s contract for another year, from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.

Under the new agreement, Saddler’s job title will become “superintendent”; she will no longer be called “interim.”

Along with the new title, she will receive full superintendent benefits and salary at $367,765.45 per year, according to the employment agreement.

The vote to approve the new contract passed 5-2 at Wednesday night’s board meeting.

Saddler’s original interim contract was for one year. The school board was planning to select a permanent superintendent by the fall but earlier this year decided to delay the search.

The new contract reflects the Board of Education’s “determination that continuity in executive leadership is in the best interests of the district as Oakland Unified continues implementation of its fiscal stabilization strategies, academic priorities, labor relations initiatives, and operational improvements,” the employment agreement reads.

In November, the board approved a $150,000 contract with a consulting firm to carry out that search, but Board President Jennifer Brouhard told KQED last month that the process never got off the ground.

“No work was done, no money has been paid for the work (to) the search firm for the superintendent search,” Brouhard said. “Hopefully, we’ll be resuming that in the early part of the fall.”

Dr. Saddler was born and raised in Oakland, attended local schools, and has dedicated more than 45 years of her career to serving Oakland students and families.

She began her career in 1979 as a teacher of students with disabilities. Over the years, she has served as a teacher, principal, district leader, and teachers’ union president.

While working in OUSD, she has served as principal at Chabot Elementary, area auperintendent, and executive leader for Community Engagement and Educational Transitions. She has also supported schools as a principal coach and substitute principal and taught at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Saddler holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Mills College and master’s degrees in special education and in Staff Development and Administration.

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Activism

Mayor Barbara Lee Joins National Public Safety Leaders to Advance Proven Violence Reduction Strategies

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee attends a two-day meeting with other mayors and public safety leaders to discuss violence reduction strategies; Oakland has seen a 39% drop in homicides.

Published

20 hours ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Oakland was one of four cities participating in a public safety convening. Courtesy image.

By Post Staff

Mayor Barbara Lee this week joined Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and public safety leaders from Oakland for a two-day meeting focused on advancing cutting-edge public safety strategies, including focused deterrence and violence reduction.

The meeting brought together civic and public safety leaders from Oakland and Indianapolis to locations in Baltimore and Philadelphia to share lessons learned and identify innovative approaches to crime prevention, intervention, and enforcement.

The participating cities are widely recognized for pioneering community-centered public safety models that prioritize prevention, accountability, and sustained investment in neighborhood-based solutions

Oakland’s delegation included Department of Violence Prevention (DVP) Chief Holly Joshi, Oakland Police Department Assistant Chief Casey Johnson, and Ceasefire Director Annette Jointer.

Oakland’s participation underscores its continued leadership in advancing evidence-based violence reduction strategies and building a public safety system that integrates law enforcement with community intervention and prevention programs.

Oakland continues to see historic reductions in violence, reflecting coordinated efforts across the Department of Violence Prevention, Oakland Police Department, Ceasefire, and community-based partners, including:

Violent crime down 22%
Homicides down 39%
Lowest homicide total in nearly 60 years

These gains reflect sustained investment in focused deterrence strategies, real-time intervention, and expanded community violence interruption programs.

“Public safety is not achieved by any one agency alone—it requires coordination, trust, and a shared commitment to prevention and accountability,” said Lee. “We are proud to stand alongside cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Indianapolis that are proving what works. We are seeing real progress in reducing violence in our communities, and we remain committed to building on that momentum through strategies that center prevention, intervention, and strong partnerships with residents.”

“Oakland’s progress shows what is possible when cities invest in focused deterrence and wraparound supports that reach people most at risk,” said Joshi. “Our work is grounded in building trust, responding quickly to emerging conflicts, and connecting individuals to services that interrupt cycles of violence. This convening was an opportunity to strengthen that work through shared learning with peers who are advancing similar strategies nationwide.”

Said Johnson, “Effective public safety requires a balanced approach that combines accountability with deep collaboration across agencies and communities.”

“We are seeing meaningful reductions in violent crime because of strong partnerships between law enforcement, DVP, Ceasefire, and community organizations,” said Johnson. “Engaging with peer cities allows us to refine and improve the strategies that are making Oakland safer.”