Oakland

Opinion: City Council Must Prioritize Anti-Displacement and Homeless Prevention

Published

9 years ago

June 6, 2017

By Rev. Damita Davis-Howard* and John Jones III**

Most of us know that Oakland is the national epicenter of the urban displacement and racial injustice crisis, and things have gotten worse over the past two years.

Oakland has lost 36,559 African Americans since 2000, a 26 percent decline, while median rents have increased by over 50 percent in two years.

Oakland renters making the median household income of $36,000 would have to pay 100 percent of their incomes to afford the new market rate rents of $3,000.

Homelessness has also surged by 39 percent in 2 years. The new and growing homeless are people who cannot afford housing.

Research and direct experience show that the new faces of Oakland’s homeless crisis are working parents with children, elderly tenants and former homeowners who lost their homes, formerly incarcerated residents and students.

The good news is that $5 million for 2 years is available in the city’s budget to fund proven anti-displacement strategies that would help over 7,000 tenants and 300 elderly homeowners at severe risk of displacement and homelessness.

Why should the City Council prioritize funding proven anti-displacement strategies–housing counseling, legal services, and emergency housing funds for low-income tenants and homeowners—when the City has so many other pressing demands for its limited dollars?

First, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. It costs about $500 to keep a family in their home versus $500,000 to build a new housing unit or about $100,000/person to provide homeless wrap-around services.

And most of all, we can prevent human suffering and trauma from losing one’s home and slipping into homelessness or displacement.

Second, investing in anti-displacement prevents homelessness. Oakland recently passed policies to protect tenants—Measure JJ and the Tenant Protection Ordinance. But what’s needed to make these protections real is funding frontline housing defenders—housing counselors and lawyers—as well as emergency housing funds to help cover rent during a financial set-back or for security deposit.

There are over 3,500 tenants facing evictions annually who do not have legal representation. And there many Oakland elderly homeowners, disproportionately African American, who are at risk of losing their homes.

Third, non-general fund monies are available for anti-displacement, which means that the Council won’t have to choose between funding more police or keeping people in their homes. The City of Oakland has $5 million available over the next 2 years, housing boomerang funds used to build affordable housing, that can be used instead for anti-displacement. Through new housing bond measures and new housing impact fee, the city will have over $200 million in other funds for affordable housing development.

But it will take three to five years to build new units. Meanwhile, people are losing their homes every day. By prioritizing anti-displacement, the City’s housing boomerang funds could prevent displacement of over 7,000 tenants and 300 homeowners in the next 2 years.

With the thousand and one pulls on the council attention and budget, it’s going to take people willing to care enough to contact Oakland City Councilmembers and let them know that funding anti-displacement is a priority.

Without significant resources going into preventing displacement, Oakland’s African American population will be decimated, our homeless crisis will continue to escalate, and our ability to create Dr. King’s vision of the Beloved Community here in Oakland will be impeded.

Let’s make sure that the Oakland City Council takes action at the special Council budget meeting on June 12th to prevent displacement—call them today!

Reverend Damita Davis-Howard is a leader with Oakland Community Organization (OCO) and the Our Beloved Community Action Network. John Jones III is a life coach with Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ) and a leader of the Our Beloved Community Action Network.

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Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

Published

3 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

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Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC