Bay Area

Proposed New Fund Would Boost Economic Opportunities: Residents of Golden Gate Village would be the voice in financial priorities

San Rafael, CA — Under a new proposal, residents of Golden Gate Village in Marin City will have a voice in prioritizing investments from a new fund to expand economic opportunities for those living in the 296-unit affordable housing neighborhood. The proposal for the Golden Gate Village Resident Empowerment Fund is to be presented before the Marin County Board of Supervisors during the Feb. 28 meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. in the Board Chamber (Suite 330) at the Marin County Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael.

Published

1 year ago

March 14, 2023

Oakland Post

The Board will consider establishing the new fund with the nonprofit Marin Community Foundation (MCF) and transferring $2 million as an initial balance. MCF will then consider making its own grant contribution, as requested by the County.

San Rafael, CA — Under a new proposal, residents of Golden Gate Village in Marin City will have a voice in prioritizing investments from a new fund to expand economic opportunities for those living in the 296-unit affordable housing neighborhood.

The proposal for the Golden Gate Village Resident Empowerment Fund is to be presented before the Marin County Board of Supervisors during the Feb. 28 meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. in the Board Chamber (Suite 330) at the Marin County Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael.

The Board will consider establishing the new fund with the nonprofit Marin Community Foundation (MCF) and transferring $2 million as an initial balance. MCF will then consider making its own grant contribution, as requested by the County. The goal of MCF request is to encourage private donors to follow suit in a unified approach to enhance services for low-income residents of the village, where there is a longstanding need for investments to support new economic opportunities. A series of Resident Listening Sessions are being held between January and March 2023, ensuring that village residents’ direct needs and service requests set the priorities for how the fund is invested. Residents will also be developing the formal name of the fund.

“Through the listening sessions, village residents are giving voice to what their service needs are, how they would like to receive services, and how this fund should invest directly into their community,” said District 3 Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters.

In November 2022, the Marin County Housing Board of Commissioners voted to approve a complete rehabilitation of the 60-year-old village, the largest affordable housing community in Marin. Many longstanding residents, especially among the Black/African American population, have given voice to a history of discrimination and disinvestment in Marin City and Golden Gate Village. This history stems from village residents or their descendants moving to Marin County during World War II to work in the Sausalito shipyards, experiencing first-hand government-endorsed discriminatory practices that prevented them from obtaining loans and purchasing local homes in the post-war era. The segregationally driven practice known as redlining has been illegal since the 1960s.

“Recognizing and rectifying past harms in Marin City is a top priority for me,” said Moulton-Peters. “This resident fund is one example of that.”

If the Board approves the fund’s creation and the initial allocation, County personnel and the Marin Housing Authority will work directly with village residents to develop a Fund Advisory Committee charged with establishing an expenditure plan. The expenditure plan would be based upon the service needs and requests identified during the Resident Listening Sessions, with a goal of beginning initial investments by Fall 2023.

Addressing issues of affordable housing and social equity have been major priorities for the Board of Supervisors, especially after additional economic hardships were brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. About 12% of Marin County residents identify as a racial minority, but the figure is more than 83% among Golden Gate Village households. The median income for a village resident is $10,820; the countywide figure is $142,300. The homeownership rate in Marin City is 17%, a fraction of the countywide rate of 60%. The census showed 11.2% of village residents live below the poverty line — most of them older adults on fixed incomes.

The County contribution to the Resident Empowerment Fund would originate from $5 million received from the federal government as part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), signed by President Biden in March 2021 to help the country recover from the pandemic.

To watch or participate in the Feb. 28 Board of Supervisors meeting, see instructions on the Board’s archive webpage.

For disability accommodations, please phone (415) 473-6358 (voice), CA Relay 711, or e-mail the Digital Access staff at least five business days in advance of the event. The County will do its best to fulfill requests received with less than five business days’ notice. Copies of documents are available in alternative formats, upon request.

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Activism

S.F. Black Leaders Rally to Protest, Discuss ‘Epidemic’ of Racial Slurs Against Black Students in SF Public School System

Parents at the meeting spoke of their children as no longer feeling safe in school because of bullying and discrimination. Parents also said that reported incidents such as racial slurs and intimidation are not dealt with to their satisfaction and feel ignored.

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church. Photo courtesy Third Baptist Church.

By Carla Thomas

San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church hosted a rally and meeting Sunday to discuss hatred toward African American students of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church, along with leadership from local civil rights groups, the city’s faith-based community and Black community leadership convened at the church.

“There has been an epidemic of racial slurs and mistreatment of Black children in our public schools in the city,” said Brown. “This will not be tolerated.”

According to civil rights advocate Mattie Scott, students from elementary to high school have reported an extraordinary amount of racial slurs directed at them.

“There is a surge of overt racism in the schools, and our children should not be subjected to this,” said Scott. “Students are in school to learn, develop, and grow, not be hated on,” said Scott. “The parents of the children feel they have not received the support necessary to protect their children.”

Attendees were briefed last Friday in a meeting with SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne.

SFUSD states that their policies protect children and they are not at liberty to publicly discuss the issues to protect the children’s privacy.

Some parents said they have removed their students from school while other parents and community leaders called on the removal of the SFUSD superintendent, the firing of certain school principals and the need for more supportive school board members.

Community advocates discussed boycotting the schools and creating Freedom Schools led by Black leaders and educators, reassuring parents that their child’s wellbeing and education are the highest priority and youth are not to be disrupted by racism or policies that don’t support them.

Virginia Marshall, chair of the San Francisco NAACP’s education committee, offered encouragement to the parents and students in attendance while also announcing an upcoming May 14 school board meeting to demand accountability over their mistreatment.

“I’m urging anyone that cares about our students to pack the May 14 school board meeting,” said Marshall.

This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate Program. The program is supported by partnership with California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.

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Bay Area

Mayor London Breed: State Awards San Francisco Over $37M for Affordable Housing

On April 30, Mayor London N. Breed announced San Francisco has been awarded more than $37.9 million in funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) as part of the State’s Multifamily Housing Program (MHP). The HCD loan will provide the final funding necessary for development of Casa Adelante – 1515 South Van Ness, a 168-unit affordable housing project located in San Francisco’s Mission District.

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed (File Photo)

By Oakland Post Staff

The HCD loan will provide the final funding necessary for development of Casa Adelante – 1515 South Van Ness, a 168-unit affordable housing project located in San Francisco’s Mission District.

The new development at 1515 South Van Ness Ave. will provide 168 affordable homes to low-income families, formerly homeless families, and persons living with HIV earning between 25-80% of the San Francisco Area Median Income (AMI).

In addition, the project is anticipated to provide family-friendly amenities and ground floor community-serving commercial spaces that preserve the prevailing neighborhood character of the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District.

“This funding unlocks our ability to move on building affordable housing units for families in San Francisco at a crucial time. We understand the level of need for more housing that is accessible, and like the state, the city continues to face a challenging budget cycle,” said Breed. “1515 South Van Ness is a good example of what can be achieved in San Francisco when you have strong community partnerships and an unwavering commitment to deliver on critical needs for our residents.”

“From the beginning of my term as Supervisor, I have fought to bring affordable housing to 1515 South Van Ness” said Supervisor Hillary Ronen. “In the interim, the site has been utilized for homeless services and shelter, and I am thrilled that HCD has recognized the value of this development, and we are finally ready to break ground and bring 168 affordable homes to low income and formerly homeless families in the Mission.”

Owned and occupied by McMillan Electric Company until 2015, the City and County of San Francisco purchased 1515 South Van Ness Avenue in June 2019 with the intent of developing new affordable housing.

In November 2020, the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) released a Multi-site Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking qualified developers to build affordable housing on the site, and subsequently selected Chinatown Community Development Corporation (CCDC) and Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) in May 2021 to develop the site.

The project is expected to begin construction in winter 2025.

“A strong, long-term push by Mission advocates to make this site 100% affordable is now paying off, with 168 family units that include services and childcare. People of color communities know what they need, and we are excited to be in partnership with a team, consisting of MEDA, CCDC, and MOHCD, that listens,” said Malcolm Yeung, Executive Director at CCDC.

“We are excited to be in partnership with CCDC, yet again, and for the opportunity to develop intergenerational affordable housing in the City’s Mission District,” said Luis Granados, executive director at MEDA.

Increasing housing affordable to lower-income and vulnerable residents is a key priority in the City’s Housing Element which calls for additional funding for affordable housing production and preservation, as well as Mayor Breed’s Housing for All Executive Directive that sets out the steps the City will take to meet the bold goal of allowing for 82,000 new homes to be built over the next eight years.

Tuesday’s funding announcement emphasizes the importance of regional and state collaboration in order to reach our housing and climate goals.

“We are thrilled—not just to bring a project of this size to a community with great need — but to do so with community-based developers and their partners who understand the neighborhood and sensitivities around cultural preservation,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez.

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Bay Area

East Bay Regional Park District Issues Rattlesnake Advisory

The East Bay Regional Park District released an advisory today on rattlesnakes, which emerge from winter hibernation in early spring and become more active. Warm weather can bring more potential for rattlesnake encounters with humans and dogs, particularly along trails and roads.

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

The Northern Pacific rattlesnake is the species found in East Bay Regional Parks. Courtesy photo.

The Richmond Standard

The East Bay Regional Park District released an advisory today on rattlesnakes, which emerge from winter hibernation in early spring and become more active.

Warm weather can bring more potential for rattlesnake encounters with humans and dogs, particularly along trails and roads.

Visitors are encouraged to avoid hiking alone in case of an emergency, to scan the ground ahead as they walk, jog or ride, stay on trails avoiding tall grass, and to look carefully around and under logs and rocks before sitting down. Keep your dog on your leash to be extra safe, park officials said.

If you encounter a rattlesnake, leave it alone – it is unlawful to capture or harm one. Move carefully and slowly away or around it and give it plenty of space, park officials said.

Those who are bitten by a rattlesnake are instructed to stay calm by lying down with the affected limb lower than the heart, then having someone call 911.

Getting medical attention is critical.

Those bitten should not use tourniquets, “sucking,” or snake bite kits. If you are by yourself, walk calmly to the nearest source of help to dial 911, do not run.

If bitten by any other type of snake, wash the wound with soap and water or an antiseptic and seek medical attention.

Not sure what bit you? Check the bite for two puncture marks (in rare cases one) associated with intense, burning pain, which is typical of a rattlesnake bite. Other snakebites can leave marks without associated burning pain.

The Northern Pacific rattlesnake is the species found in East Bay Regional Parks. Snakes are important to the natural environment, helping to control rodents and other reptile populations. But enjoy them from afar.

For more information, download the Park District’s Common Snakes brochure or watch our Gopher Snake or Rattlesnake video to learn how to tell the difference between rattlesnakes and gopher snakes. Additional information is available at ebparks.org/safety/wildlife-encounters.