WE ARE CURRENTLY FOCUSED ON THREE CORE INITIATIVES

RESIDENT CONTROLLED HOUSING

Overview:

OakCLT is looking to acquire small, multi-unit residential buildings (less than 25 units) as a means to prevent displacement of existing residents and permanently preserve affordability.

Model:

OakCLT is looking to partner with existing tenants to support their stability and to remove their buildings from the speculative market to ensure perpetual affordability.

A Resident Operated Nonprofit (RON) is a non-equity co-op, which means that residents do not purchase a share as they would in a limited equity cooperative. However, the property is self-managed by the residents and in all other ways operates like a traditional housing co-op.

We believe this model is an important—yet missing—part of the mix of affordable housing in Oakland, as it offers lower-income residents many of the benefits that come with homeownership with effectively none of the risks.

  • Residents are empowered to make important decisions about how the property is operated and learn skills for property management and maintenance.
  • Self-management gives residents more agency in their housing situations, can reduce overall management costs, and ultimately can help to keep rents at affordable levels.
  • The CLT remains a partner to the residents, offering ongoing technical assistance, annual budgeting, advocacy, and support.

Engage:

  • Do you live in a small multi-unit building in Oakland (approximately 5-20 units)?
  • Is your building for sale, or do you think your landlord is going to sell your building?
  • Are you concerned about being displaced from your building?

If you would like OakCLT to evaluate the possibility for converting your building into resident controlled cooperative housing, or would like to get involved with our initiative, please email stevek (at) oakclt.org, call 510-463-2887, or fill out and submit the form below:

URBAN AGRICULTURE & COMMUNITY GARDENS

Overview:

OakCLT is building the administrative and legal capacities to acquire and steward land in perpetuity for a variety of open space, agricultural, and gardening uses that directly serve low-income families and neighborhoods. We are currently collaborating with community partners to reuse blighted, tax defaulted parcels in ways that engage existing neighborhood residents in the production of healthy food.

Model:

OakCLT is currently in the process of acquiring a number of tax-defaulted and lien burdened parcels from Alameda County. Once OakCLT takes ownership, we will prepare them for community use, and provide long-term leases to our partners for their programmatic work with residents.

Partners in Tax Defaulted Property Reuse

  • Acta Non Verba: Youth Urban Farm Project
  • International Rescue Committee: New Roots Program
  • Planting Justice

WORKFORCE TRAINING & HOME REHAB/CONSTRUCTION

Overview:

In 2014, OakCLT and Youth Employment Partnership (YEP) completed an innovative pilot project that :

  • put two vacant, blighted houses back to productive use
  • created construction training opportunities for YEP’s teen and young adult clients: the two homes served as a living classroom for 29 Oakland young adults and 36 high school teens
  • established two new permanently affordable homes for low-income Oakland residents

YEP and OakCLT are developing a broad strategy to build upon the success of this project through an expanded collaboration that will create a sustainable pipeline of training and housing opportunities for the populations we serve. OakCLT will acquire land for the construction of new, net zero energy homes by YEP’s program participants. OakCLT will also acquire existing multi-unit buildings to stabilize and preserve as permanently affordable rental cooperative housing; these multi-unit buildings will also create rehabilitation training opportunities for YEP.