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PRESS ROOM: City Awarded $7.5 Million In Project Homekey State Funding to Acquire Building for Transitional Age Youth Housing

The acquisition of this hotel is part of Mayor Breed’s Homelessness Recovery Plan, which includes the largest one-time expansion of PSH in 20 years. Currently, there are 1,490 active units, and an additional 1,054 units are in the pipeline putting the plan at 99% towards Mayor Breed’s commitment to acquiring or leasing 1,500 new units of PSH.

Published

2 years ago

April 13, 2022

Oakland Post

Project Homekey, backed by $1.3 billion in newly available and eligible funding through the State budget, will allow for the largest expansion of housing for people experiencing homelessness in recent history while addressing the continuing health and social service needs of homeless residents, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

State grant will fund the recently approved purchase of 3061 16th Street for Permanent Supportive Housing, further advancing Mayor Breed’s Homelessness Recovery Plan

San Francisco, CA — Last week, the California Department of Housing and Community Development announced that San Francisco was awarded $7.5 million in capital and operating costs from the State’s Project Homekey to purchase the 25-room Eula Hotel at 3061 16th Street to operate as Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) for transitional age youth (TAY). The site will be operated by Dolores Street Community Services with Larkin Street Youth Services providing onsite youth services for tenants.

This most recent Homekey award is in addition to the $76.9 million that San Francisco was awarded in 2020 for the Diva and Granada Hotels and the $54.7 million that the City was awarded in 2021 for the purchase of 1321 Mission Street.

“We know that expanding Permanent Supportive Housing will lead to real opportunities for people experiencing homelessness in our city to live a fuller, healthier life,” said Mayor Breed. “Although we have made historic progress on our Homelessness Recovery Plan, there is still so much work that needs to be done, and we must take advantage of every opportunity provided by the State to ensure that all people receive the support they need. I want to thank Governor Newsom for his continued efforts to push Project Homekey forward and his leadership in supporting our homeless residents during this unprecedented time.”

“We are grateful to the Mayor and Governor for their commitment to expand housing as the solution to homelessness,” said Shireen McSpadden, Executive Director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. “State funds are a key component in growing our permanent supportive housing portfolio and advancing our mission to make homelessness in San Francisco rare, brief and one-time.”

As part of Mayor Breed’s Homelessness Recovery Plan the City will make 6,000 placements in housing and shelter available for people experiencing homelessness, including 4,500 placements in PSH. Progress on Mayor Breed’s Homelessness Recovery Plan can be found here: sf.gov/data/homelessness-recovery-plan.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

Published

6 days ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Oakland Schools Honor Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties

Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice. His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.

Published

7 days ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

Fred Korematsu. Courtesy of OUSD.

By Post Staff

Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice.

His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.
One OUSD school is named in his honor: Fred T. Korematsu Discovery Academy (KDA) elementary in East Oakland.

Several years ago, founding KDA Principal Charles Wilson, in a video interview with anti-hate organization “Not In Our Town,” said, “We chose the name Fred Korematsu because we really felt like the attributes that he showed in his work are things that the children need to learn … that common people can stand up and make differences in a large number of people’s lives.”

Fred Korematsu was born in Oakland on Jan. 30, 1919. His parents ran a floral nursery business, and his upbringing in Oakland shaped his worldview. His belief in the importance of standing up for your rights and the rights of others, regardless of race or background, was the foundation for his activism against racial prejudice and for the rights of Japanese Americans during World War II.

At the start of the war, Korematsu was turned away from enlisting in the National Guard and the Coast Guard because of his race. He trained as a welder, working at the docks in Oakland, but was fired after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Fear and prejudice led to federal Executive Order 9066, which forced more than 120,000 Japanese Americans out of their homes and neighborhoods and into remote internment camps.

The 23-year-old Korematsu resisted the order. He underwent cosmetic surgery and assumed a false identity, choosing freedom over unjust imprisonment. His later arrest and conviction sparked a legal battle that would challenge the foundation of civil liberties in America.

Korematsu’s fight culminated in the Supreme Court’s initial ruling against him in 1944. He spent years in a Utah internment camp with his family, followed by time living in Salt Lake City where he was dogged by racism.

In 1976, President Gerald Ford overturned Executive Order 9066. Seven years later, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco vacated Korematsu’s conviction. He said in court, “I would like to see the government admit that they were wrong and do something about it so this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed, or color.”

Korematsu’s dedication and determination established him as a national icon of civil rights and social justice. He advocated for justice with Rosa Parks. In 1998, President Bill Clinton gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom saying, “In the long history of our country’s constant search for justice, some names of ordinary citizens stand for millions of souls … To that distinguished list, today we add the name of Fred Korematsu.”

After Sept. 11, 2001, Korematsu spoke out against hatred and discrimination, saying what happened to Japanese Americans should not happen to people of Middle Eastern descent.
Korematsu’s roots in Oakland and his education in OUSD are a source of great pride for the city, according to the school district. His most famous quote, which is on the Korematsu elementary school mural, is as relevant now as ever, “If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don’t be afraid to speak up.”

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WOMEN IMPACTING THE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Published

1 week ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Juanita Matthews

Sister Juanita Matthews

55 Years with Oakland Public School District

The Teacher, Mother, Community Outreach Champion, And Child of God

Juanita Matthews, better known as “Sister Teacher,” is a walking Bible scholar. She moved to California from the great state of Arkansas in 1971. Sister Teacher has a passion for teaching. She has been a member of Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church since 1971. She followed her passion for teaching, and in 1977 became the lead teacher for Adult Class #6. Her motto still today is “Once My Student, Always My Student”.

Beyond her remarkable love for the Lord, Sister Teacher has showcased her love for teaching by working for the Oakland Unified School District for 55 years, all but four of those years spent at Emerson Elementary and Child Development School. She truly cares about her students, making sure they have the tools/supplies needed to learn either at OUSD or Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church.

She’s also had a “Clothes Closet Ministry” for 51 years, making sure her students have sufficient clothing for school. The Clothes Closet Ministry extends past her students, she has been clothing the community for over 50 years as well. She loves the Lord and is a servant on a mission. She is a loving mother to two beautiful children, Sandra and Andre. This is the impact this woman of God has on her church and the community.