Rockridge Patch: Oakland Nonprofit Plans More Affordable Housing

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Alameda County Treasurer-Tax Collector Henry Levy said Wednesday that they have teamed with the non-profit Hello Housing to transform 26 vacant properties into permanently affordable housing for low- and moderate-income residents. Schaaf and Levy said the City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department, Hello Housing and Alameda County have worked for more than two years to develop a novel process to acquire formerly blighted and tax-defaulted properties for affordable housing. “We are chipping away at the cost of living crisis one innovative idea at a time,” Schaaf said in a statement. Schaaf said, “Tax-defaulted properties are a major source of blight in Oakland, depressing neighborhood vitality while draining public resources. Our work with Alameda County and Hello Housing has unlocked a unique tool to address our housing crisis and transform blighted lots into housing that is safe, healthy, and affordable for low-income residents.”