Source: Street Spirit
By: Sam Tepperman-Gelfant and David Zisser
Date: January 14, 2016

The City of Oakland is currently considering five proposals for development on a prime piece of publicly-owned land on the shores of Lake Merritt, just blocks from downtown and key transit hubs. Most, if not all, of the proposals include affordable housing, and one is a visionary community-developed plan for 133 affordable units* and plenty of green space.

If this sounds good to you, be sure to thank the neighbors.

In January, this outcome was unimaginable to all but a dedicated group of neighbors who make up Eastlake United for Justice (EUJ). At the time, the City was barreling forward with plans to sell the East 12th Street parcel at a discount for the development of a monstrous tower of luxury apartments for households making $120,000 and up—more than three times the median income for the neighborhood. While the outcome seemed inevitable to some, EUJ had a different vision for the site and one overarching demand: use public land for the public good. Through fearless and relentless organizing using a range of strategies, including legal enforcement in partnership with Public Advocates and others, EUJ stopped the moving train of luxury development and steered the process towards a more equitable outcome.

Read the full article

*The article says 98 units, but it was written before the final proposal went in.
Contact Us

We're not around right now. But you can send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap.

Not readable? Change text. captcha txt