Community

California Needs Big, Bold Affordable Housing Investments Now

The following letter to California’s elected leadership was jointly authored last month by Fred Blackwell, CEO of the San Francisco Foundation, and Miguel Santana, president and CEO of the California Community Foundation. There are nearly 50,000 shovel-ready affordable homes across California waiting for funds to begin construction and provide housing to low-income families and individuals.

Published

2 years ago

July 8, 2024

Oakland Post

Fred Blackwell is the CEO of the San Francisco Foundation. Photo courtesy of the San Francisco Foundation. Miguel Santana is the president and CEO of the California Community Foundation. Photo courtesy of the California Community Foundation.

Special to The Post

There are nearly 50,000 shovel-ready affordable homes across California waiting for funds to begin construction and provide housing to low-income families and individuals.

Yet, during the latest budget negotiations unfolding in Sacramento, the May Revise proposal nearly zeroed out General Fund resources for affordable housing and homelessness solutions, apart from the state low-income housing tax credit, and proposed slashing of almost $2 billion in critical resources committed in previous budgets.

At a time of record level homelessness rates and rising housing unaffordability our state cannot afford, nor can our communities accept in good conscience, these cuts. We must finish the work. California has made great progress advancing affordable housing solutions, and we must continue to drive that momentum forward by using all the tools and resources available to us.

As philanthropists working across California, our institutions are committed to creating thriving communities and central to that mission is access to fair, equitable and affordable housing. As our legislators and the Governor move through final budget negotiations, they must make big choices on how to invest our state budget dollars to sustain and increase Californians’ well-being. Housing must be a top priority.

Legislators and the Governor must work together to move forward on a final budget that restores funding for housing investments. This includes resourcing the Multifamily Housing Program (MHP), the state’s largest and most flexible program for affordable housing production and core to the California Department of Housing & Community Development’s (HCD) ability to advance housing solutions for Californians.

And doubling down on a commitment to prioritize bold investments and structural change that can help us achieve housing justice and reduce racial disparities caused by decades of systemic racism and underinvestment.

Housing is deeply integral to our communities’ ability to live well and thrive. Without it, people face unemployment, limited opportunities, and poor health. When housing improves, everyone benefits.

Children do better in school, people live longer and it’s easier to find and keep a job. The California Community Foundation and the San Francisco Foundation have deepened our commitment to ensure everyone has a place to live – because the evidence is clear that housing is a prerequisite to establishing stable and thriving communities.

Yet, the level of funding required to ensure all people have a safe place to call home is beyond the capacity of philanthropies and nonprofits alone. Research confirms our daily experience – we have both the dire need and the deep public will to take action.

This is why we are seeing more donors funding housing, nonprofits shifting their focus, and local governments pursuing revenue and taking bold action. In both the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles County, for example, regional agencies and civic leaders are looking to advance local funding streams designed to invest in affordable housing solutions.

We need our state to do its part by investing boldly in affordable housing and homelessness solutions during the current state budget cycle.

We are at a key decision point where our ability to make a deep and lasting impact for our communities is on the table. In this moment, lawmakers must actively choose to prioritize solutions, progress, and our future.

California’s housing crisis is often framed in the numbers of people experiencing homelessness or tenants behind on rent, but these are more than just numbers. These are people. They are – and we are – all Californians. We are families, children, veterans, and seniors. We are neighbors.

We urge the Legislature and Governor, as they work to finalize a budget for Californians, to put our communities first– the people who are counting on them to do the right thing. Affordable housing solutions are what California’s residents need now, more than ever.

The need for housing investment is clear and the choice is yours.

Fred Blackwell is the CEO of the San Francisco Foundation, one of the largest community foundations in the country. The San Francisco Foundation works hand-in-hand with donors, community leaders, and both public and private partners to create thriving communities throughout the Bay Area.

Miguel A. Santana is the president and CEO of the California Community Foundation (CCF), serving the Southern California region since 1915. CCF is committed to leading positive systemic change that strengthens communities, stewarding more than $2 billion in assets and delivering an estimated $300 million in grantmaking a year to hundreds of non-profits.

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Oakland Mayor Pushes Charter Overhaul to Clarify Roles in City Government, Increase Accountability and Improve Service Delivery

Under the proposal, the mayor would serve as Oakland’s chief executive, overseeing city departments, implementing policy, proposing the annual budget, and managing day-to-day operations. The measure would also give the mayor veto power over legislation and the budget, though the City Council could override a veto with a two-thirds vote.

Published

3 days ago

May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. File photo.

By Oakland Post Staff

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee is backing a sweeping proposal to restructure Oakland’s government, arguing the changes would make City Hall more accountable and improve the delivery of basic services like public safety, homelessness response, and infrastructure repairs.

The charter reform measure, introduced April 7 and co-sponsored by Oakland City Council President Kevin Jenkins, would ask voters in November to approve a “strong mayor, strong council” system designed to create clearer lines of authority inside city government.

The City Council, meanwhile, would maintain legislative authority by adopting ordinances, approving budgets, conducting oversight hearings, and confirming key mayoral appointments. The proposal would also create an Independent Budget and Legislative Analyst Office to provide nonpartisan fiscal and policy analysis for councilmembers.

“I’ve spent months listening to Oaklanders across every neighborhood about what they expect from their city government,” Lee said. “The Charter Reform Working Group’s engagement made clear that residents want a system where there are no questions about who is responsible for delivering results on public safety, homelessness, infrastructure, and basic services.”

Jenkins said the proposal would strengthen both executive leadership and council oversight.

“I’ve long believed Oakland works best when residents have clear lines of accountability and a government structure that aligns responsibility with results,” Jenkins said.

The proposal follows recommendations from the Mayor’s Charter Reform Working Group, co-facilitated by the League of Women Voters of Oakland and SPUR.

Over five months, the group conducted more than 60 interviews, held 14 public meetings across Oakland, and engaged more than 750 residents while reviewing governance models used in other cities.

“The process of engaging residents across Oakland surfaced the governance clarity Oakland needs,” said Sujata Srivastava of SPUR. “The Charter Reform Working Group has produced a thoughtful set of recommendations that if adopted could strengthen accountability and improve service delivery across city government.”

Polling cited by the mayor’s office suggests voters may be open to the changes. A February 2026 poll by the East Bay Polling Institute found 64% of voters support adopting a strong-mayor system. Separate polling conducted by the Oakland Chamber of Commerce and David Binder Research found support ranging from 61% to 63% among likely voters.

The measure is scheduled to be heard by the City Council Rules Committee on May 21. If approved by the council, it would appear on the November 2026 ballot, where Oakland voters would have the final say.

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Activism

The Ladies of Delta Sigma Theta Hold Day of Advocacy at the Capitol in Sacramento

A member of the “Divine Nine,” Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., was founded on Jan. 13, 1913, at Howard University in Washington, D.C. The organization was established by 22 women who sought to shift the group’s focus from social activities to public service, academic excellence, and social activism.

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May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Sen. Laura Richardson (D-San Pedro) presents a Senate resolution to the Delta Theta Sigma Sorority Farwest Region at the State Capitol on May 4. Photo courtesy of the Senate Rules Committee.

By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media

On May 4, members of the Farwest Region of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., convened at the California State Capitol for the organization’s 23rd annual Delta Days in Sacramento.

The two-day advocacy event brings together chapters from across California to engage directly in the legislative process, connect with lawmakers, and advocate for policies impacting Black communities.

Members of the sorority were honored on the Senate floor by Sen. Laura Richardson (D-San Pedro), who is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta.

Richardson welcomed the Farwest Region during the presentation of a Senate resolution recognizing outgoing Regional Director Kimberly Usher for her leadership and service.

“In addition to the Far West Region, we are led by a fearless leader, regional director Kimberly Usher. She has now served her full term of what’s allowed,” Richardson said. “We are going to be having our regional conference, but we wanted to give it to her here, officially recognizing her service.”

The resolution was co-authored by Richardson and fellow members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and Delta Sigma Theta, Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego) and Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom (D-Stockton).

Usher has served in the leadership role since 2022.

“We are founded on sisterhood that is deeply rooted in scholarship, service, and social action,” said Weber Pierson, a member of the Gamma Alpha chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

“Today, we continue a legacy of empowering communities and upholding the high cultural, intellectual, and moral standards established by our founders over a century ago,” she added.

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Rep. Kamlager-Dove Introduces Bill to Protect Women in Custody After Reports Detailing Miscarriages and Neglect

The Pregnant Women in Custody Act would expand safeguards beyond the federal prison system to include women detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The proposal follows reports of pregnant women being shackled, denied medical care and suffering miscarriages while in immigration detention.

Published

3 days ago

May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

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By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37) on May 7, reintroduced updated legislation aimed at strengthening protections and healthcare standards for pregnant and postpartum women held in federal custody, including in immigration detention facilities.

The Pregnant Women in Custody Act would expand safeguards beyond the federal prison system to include women detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The proposal follows reports of pregnant women being shackled, denied medical care and suffering miscarriages while in immigration detention.

The legislation builds on a bipartisan version previously passed by the House during the 117th Congress. The updated bill includes new standards for healthcare access, mental health and substance use treatment, high-risk pregnancy care, family unity protections and increased federal oversight.

“Proper pregnancy care is a human right, regardless of your immigration or incarceration status,” Kamlager-Dove said in a statement. “It’s unacceptable that there are virtually no legal safeguards for pregnant women in federal custody.”

The bill would also limit the use of restraints and restrictive housing for pregnant women, improve data collection on maternal health in custody and require additional staff training and enforcement measures.

Supporters of the measure said the legislation is intended to address long-standing concerns about maternal healthcare and safety in detention settings, particularly for Black women and low-income women who are disproportionately impacted by incarceration and health disparities.

“Pregnant women in custody should never be subjected to dangerous and inhumane treatment that threatens their health, dignity, or the well-being of their babies,” said Patrice Willoughby, chief of policy and legislative affairs for the NAACP and a longtime public policy and government affairs strategist, in a statement.

A 2021 report estimated there are about 58,000 admissions of pregnant women into U.S. jails and prisons each year. Kamlager’s statement also cited a recent investigation by NBC News and Bloomberg Law that identified allegations of severe mistreatment or medical neglect involving at least 54 pregnant women or families in county jails between 2017 and 2024.

Federal policy under the Department of Homeland Security restricts the detention of pregnant, postpartum and nursing immigrants except in extreme cases. However, the agency reported that ICE deported 363 pregnant, postpartum or nursing women between January 2025 and February 2026, including 16 recorded miscarriages during that period.

The bill is cosponsored by several House Democrats and backed by organizations including the NAACP and the Vera Institute of Justice.