After five months of research on housing accessibility in Alameda, the League of Women Voters of Alameda [1]’s Student Advisory Committee (LWVA SAC) presented its findings at a youth-led panel discussion on Tuesday, June 11, at Phoenix [2].
[3]The panel, entitled “Housing for All: Alameda’s Plan to Improve Housing Accessibility,” included Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft [4], Director of Housing Development Sylvia Martinez, and Samuel Kevy, Field Representative for Assemblymember Mia Bonta [5]. Relieving the housing shortage [6] has been a primary focus for Bonta.
The students’ Housing and Homelessness Project (HHP) report urged increased efforts toward housing [7] affordability and resources and sought to put pressure on legislators regarding bills on accessible housing.
“By utilizing your voice and engaging with organizations and the community, we can continue to fight for equitable and accessible housing in Alameda,” Saran Tugsjaral wrote in the report.
A recurring theme discussed in the panel was how much sustained effort and financial resources are needed to affect impactful change. Kevy said about $24 billion has been spent since 2018.
“That money has been incredibly impactful, but it’s really only scratching the surface.” Kevy said. He noted that the state estimates 2.5 to 3 million new housing units are needed by 2030, with 1 million of those units to be affordable housing [8]. In the Bay Area, it costs about $1 million to build one affordable home [9].
[10]Martinez said that in addition to development costs, vulnerable populations also need funding for services.
“When we try to serve vulnerable populations, such as the formerly homeless, housing is not enough” she said. “I need funding for services. It may be health related services, mental health related services, counseling, job counseling. Sometimes we have not had money for those services so that people can be successful in their housing.”
Mayor Ashcraft repeatedly warned against leaders putting off facing the problem.
“We’re having this crisis because people just like us kick this can down the road and say, ‘Oh no, we don’t want to deal with the housing crisis. Not, not now, not here, not in my backyard,’” Ashcraft said.
Other issues the panel discussed included living costs, protection for tenants, and the stigma surrounding people who are unhoused. Panelists expressed optimism that, going forward, solutions for these issues are possible.
The forum was organized by LWVA SAC Spring Intern Sesina Haile, who was the HHP coordinator. Haile said the discussion format was chosen in hopes that it would increase community engagement. “We want to be able to make sure that this information can be more widely shared with our community,” she stated.
Haile also said that this topic attracted the students because it’s a current problem for children in families who are suffering from housing insecurity and is also a worry for future graduates concerned with cost of living as they move into independent living. “A lot of kids also bear the burden of these issues because they have that personal experience,” she said.
For information on affordable housing in Alameda County, visit the Alameda County Housing Portal [12]. For information about City of Alameda resources, visit the Housing Authority of the City of Alameda [13] website.
The League of Women Voters is a nonprofit political organization that aims to provide voter services and education on political issues. The student advisory committee provides a youth perspective on those activities.
Vicky Nguyen is a contributing writer for the Alameda Post [14]. Contact her via [email protected] [15]. Her writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Vicky-Nguyen [16].