2.12 20-0643 Subject: 6106-6108 Hilton Street Additional Funding
From: Housing & Community Development Department
Recommendation: Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The Increase Of An Existing Acquisition And Conversion Loan To The Northern California Land Trust, Inc. By $213,737 To A Total Acquisition And Conversion Loan In An Amount Not To Exceed $2,613,737 For The 6106-6108 Hilton Street Anti-Displacement Affordable Housing Project, And Making California Environmental Quality Act Findings For This Action
I am writing in support of Item 2.12, for funding to renovate the property at 6106-6108 Hilton St.
I have lived in Oakland for 36 years, remaining in the same building the entire time. A large part of the reason I have remained so long is because it is a property of the Northern California Land Trust (NCLT).
Part of the story is that I believe deeply in the moral and social orientation of a land trust. I feel like I belong to the co-op where I live, not that it belongs to me. So first of all, I strongly support whatever support the City can provide to legitimate, community-based land trust organizations to own, preserve and maintain permanently affordable housing, which land trusts are uniquely well-designed to do.
I want to add that I have found NCLT in particular to be a consistently dedicated, ethical and responsive organization – board and staff – to the cause of affordable housing and the needs of low-income residents like myself.
It so happens that the 100-year-old building in which I live also needs considerable renovation at this time. NCLT is working hard to find and deploy funding to assist our renovation too, for health and safety reasons. I can assure you that any City funding that you entrust to NCLT will be used wisely and well to address the renovation needs of 6106-6108 Hilton Street. I encourage you to provide the additional funding.
Sincerely,
Aaron Reaven
Resident of Peace Gardens Co-op
486 36th St. / Oakland, 94609
On behalf of the Northern California Land Trust and the sixteen low-income Black and Latinix families of 6106-8 Hilton St, we respectfully request that City Council approve this crucial funding request to ensure that all necessary repairs and improvements can be made to the property as part of the planned upcoming rehab.
The project is an otherwise successful use of the City's ACAH loan program to stop the displacement of these families. The prior owner attempted numerous times to evict tenants (either through direction eviction, or through attempts to double their rent), in order to 'reposition' the property for profit.
Yet while the initial ACAH award enabled NCLT to acquire the property, the City Attorney’s last-minute policy reversal to require prevailing wage for the non-City funded rehab threw the overall project into jeopardy. This additional $213,737 will fill the gap created by the late imposition of this requirement, and is crucial for completing the full, necessary rehab in compliance with the City’s prevailing wage requirement.
We are deeply grateful for HCD staff’s quick intervention to bring this request to City Council, and both NCLT and the residents will be deeply grateful for the Council’s support.
Dear members of City Council:
I am writing in support of Item 2.12, for funding to renovate the property at 6106-6108 Hilton St.
I have lived in Oakland for 36 years, remaining in the same building the entire time. A large part of the reason I have remained so long is because it is a property of the Northern California Land Trust (NCLT).
Part of the story is that I believe deeply in the moral and social orientation of a land trust. I feel like I belong to the co-op where I live, not that it belongs to me. So first of all, I strongly support whatever support the City can provide to legitimate, community-based land trust organizations to own, preserve and maintain permanently affordable housing, which land trusts are uniquely well-designed to do.
I want to add that I have found NCLT in particular to be a consistently dedicated, ethical and responsive organization – board and staff – to the cause of affordable housing and the needs of low-income residents like myself.
It so happens that the 100-year-old building in which I live also needs considerable renovation at this time. NCLT is working hard to find and deploy funding to assist our renovation too, for health and safety reasons. I can assure you that any City funding that you entrust to NCLT will be used wisely and well to address the renovation needs of 6106-6108 Hilton Street. I encourage you to provide the additional funding.
Sincerely,
Aaron Reaven
Resident of Peace Gardens Co-op
486 36th St. / Oakland, 94609
On behalf of the Northern California Land Trust and the sixteen low-income Black and Latinix families of 6106-8 Hilton St, we respectfully request that City Council approve this crucial funding request to ensure that all necessary repairs and improvements can be made to the property as part of the planned upcoming rehab.
The project is an otherwise successful use of the City's ACAH loan program to stop the displacement of these families. The prior owner attempted numerous times to evict tenants (either through direction eviction, or through attempts to double their rent), in order to 'reposition' the property for profit.
Yet while the initial ACAH award enabled NCLT to acquire the property, the City Attorney’s last-minute policy reversal to require prevailing wage for the non-City funded rehab threw the overall project into jeopardy. This additional $213,737 will fill the gap created by the late imposition of this requirement, and is crucial for completing the full, necessary rehab in compliance with the City’s prevailing wage requirement.
We are deeply grateful for HCD staff’s quick intervention to bring this request to City Council, and both NCLT and the residents will be deeply grateful for the Council’s support.