News

The Partnership for the Bay’s Future Launches Breakthrough Grants Program

The Partnership for the Bay’s Future is pleased to announce the launch of the Breakthrough Grants, a program to help communities pass equitable housing policy. Selected local governments will receive a dynamic, mission-driven fellow who will work on community-driven local policy in affordable housing production and preservation. The Partnership will also provide two years of grant funding to community partners to engage and activate the … Read more

San Francisco Was Shaped by Racist Housing Laws. Will a Fix Be Racist Too?

Nonprofit developer MidPen Housing has been building affordable housing in the Bay Area for more than 50 years, but as the region’s housing crisis has reached new depths, the organization took a bold step to strengthen their mission to assist low-income residents. In 2020, MidPen adopted a new strategic plan that aims to set aside … Read more

Kinship in Housing – the Story of Friendship

Reflective of its name, the story of how the Friendship Senior Housing project came together is truly a story of kinship. Set to break ground in Summer 2022 at 1904 Adeline Street, the 50-unit senior apartment building will sit on land owned by Gerald Agee Ministries in the Ralph Bunche neighborhood (behind DeFremery Park) of … Read more

San Jose explores policy allowing nonprofits to purchase affordable housing

San Jose could soon allow nonprofits to purchase apartment complexes before developers or landlords — a bold idea already adopted in cities like San Francisco and Washington. The movement to adopt the policy, called the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act or COPA, began earlier this year during tenant rights workshops hosted by East San Jose … Read more

Palo Alto explores new policies to help tenants

Seeking to address the plight of low-income residents in a city with famously astronomical rents, Palo Alto is considering a wide range of new programs designed to protect and assist tenants facing displacement. Some of these programs — including, most notably, rental stabilization — have been brought up in the past, only to fizzle in … Read more

East Palo Alto Challenge Grant Partners are One Step Closer to Creating a “Placekeepers Co-Op” through the Acquisition of the YUCA Building

Just last month, YUCA (Youth United for Community Action), a 27-year-old grassroots organization in East Palo Alto focused on social justice and youth empowerment, was on the verge of being displaced from its yellow adobe brick home of 11 years, after the long-time property owner told YUCA staff that he intended to remodel the house and put it … Read more