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Frederick Douglas Haynes Gardens Housing Complex Tenants Win Last-minute Reprieve

Published

10 years ago

August 7, 2015

By Wade Woods

After several days of twist and turns, residents of the historic Frederick Douglas Haynes Garden housing complex could breathe a little easier after learning that their apartments would not be put up for sale, at least for now.

It all began two weeks ago when Third Baptist Church Pastor Rev. Amos Brown began receiving phone calls that the apartment complex was to be put on the market and sold to the highest bidder.

Alarmed and in somewhat of a shock, Rev. Brown checked around and found out that the rumors were true – the apartment complex built by his church over 40 years ago was being put up for sale.

It seems that the original Haynes Garden Board of Directors that had been appointed by the Third Baptist Board of Trustees when the complex was first built had changed hands and been taken over by what Rev. Brown called a boughs rogue board.

It was this board, headed up by Chairwoman Rochelle Buford-Williams, that was putting the complex up for sale. Rev. Brown called his friend and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown to ask for assistance and legal advice.

Former Mayor Brown contacted former City Attorney Louise Rene, who quickly offered to help. It was now Sunday and word was beginning to spread to the tenants.

Rev. Brown called an emergency meeting at Third Baptist Church on July 26. At this meeting, it was agreed that everyone would get the word out for the community to attend a meeting that had already been called at West Bay Conference center to deal with the problems at the former Yoshi’s jazz clubs.

At that point, District 5 Supervisor and Board of Supervisors President London Breed learned of the proposed sale as she was coming back to town from a trip to New York.

Ironically, she was in New York with the Mayor’s Director of Housing Olson Lee to study affordable housing in New York. Mayor Ed Lee found out about the sale while he was in New York and had notified his office to find out what was happening.

The Monday night meeting turned into a shouting match, with Rev. Brown wanting the agenda changed to include the Haynes Garden sale. Supervisor Breed told the crowd that while she was very concerned about the Haynes Garden situation, she had just found out about the sale and needed time to gather the facts about the events taking place at the housing complex.

She called for a meeting with the tenants to take place on Wednesday at the community room at the complex. Rev. Brown announced to the crowd that he was filing a lawsuit to seek an injunction to stop the sale.

It was at the Monday night meeting that former Mayor Willie Brown announced the involvement of former City Attorney Louise Rene. On Tuesday morning, Rev. Brown and community leaders held a press conference announcing the lawsuit to stop the sale.

Rev. Brown and the community advocate Rev. Arnold Townsend, who had joined the lawsuit, went to court. In the face of mounting pressure, Haynes Complex Board and their Real Estate team announced that they had withdrawn the property from the market, and the Haynes Garden was no longer for sale.

On Wednesday, a huge standing room-only crowd had gathered at the Haynes Garden Complex, fearing the worst.

Attending the meeting was Olson Lee from the Mayor’s Office of Housing, Supervisor Breed and Rev. Brown. They announced to the crowd that the apartment complex had been taken off the market.

The officials promised that the tenants would be allowed to remain at the complex and the city would never let them be evicted. The crowd cheered with relief.

But the fate of the apartment complex is still uncertain, and the struggle was only beginning.

Oakland Post

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Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

7 months ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Special to The Post

The City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department (Oakland HCD) announced its awardees for the 2024-2025 New Construction of Multifamily Affordable Housing Notice of Funding Availability (New Construction NOFA) today Five permanently affordable housing developments received awards out of 24 applications received by the Department, with award amounts ranging from $7 million to $28 million.

In a statement released on Jan. 16, Oakland’s HCD stated, “Five New Construction Multifamily Affordable Housing Development projects awarded a total of $80.5 million to develop 583 affordable rental homes throughout Oakland. Awardees will leverage the City’s investments to apply for funding from the state and private entities.”

In December, the office of Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 City Councilmember, worked with HCD to allocate an additional $10 Million from Measure U to the funding pool. The legislation also readopted various capital improvement projects including street paving and upgrades to public facilities.

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is the media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

12 months ago

January 30, 2025

Oakland Post

Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 city councilmember. File photo.

Special to The Post

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units, including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Oakland Acquisition Company’s Acquisition of County’s Interest in Coliseum Property on the Verge of Completion

The Board of Supervisors is committed to closing the deal expeditiously, and County staff have worked tirelessly to move the deal forward on mutually agreeable terms. The parties are down to the final details and, with the cooperation of OAC and Coliseum Way Partners, LLC, the Board will take a public vote at an upcoming meeting to seal this transaction.

Published

1 year ago

January 11, 2025

Oakland Post

Alameda County Board of Supervisors Chairman David Haubert. Official photo.

Special to The Post

The County of Alameda announced this week that a deal allowing the Oakland Acquisition Company, LLC, (“OAC”) to acquire the County’s 50% undivided interest in the Oakland- Alameda County Coliseum complex is in the final stages of completion.

Oakland has already finalized a purchase and sale agreement with OAC for its interest in the property. OAC’s acquisition of the County’s property interest will achieve two longstanding goals of the County:

The Oakland-Alameda Coliseum complex will finally be under the control of a sole owner with capacity to make unilateral decisions regarding the property; and
The County will be out of the sports and entertainment business, free to focus and rededicate resources to its core safety net

In an October 2024 press release from the City of Oakland, the former Oakland mayor described the sale of its 50% interest in the property as an “historic achievement” stating that the transaction will “continue to pay dividends for generations to come.”

The Board of Supervisors is pleased to facilitate single-entity ownership of this property uniquely centered in a corridor of East Oakland that has amazing potential.

“The County is committed to bringing its negotiations with OAC to a close,” said Board President David Haubert.