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Oakland

Shallow Subsidy Pilot

Walking around Oakland, it is clear our city is facing a housing crisis. We have one of the largest populations of unhoused people in the country and Alameda County has the third highest rate of unsheltered people nationwide.

Create Healthy &

Safe Neighborhoods

Oakland is known for its colorful murals on freeway underpasses, alleyways and buildings. In 2018, Oakland’s Department of Transportation launched Paint the Town! to add up to 30 new …

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Entrepreneurship

In collaboration with government agencies, local businesses and Oakland’s communities, the Civic Design Lab improves public services by applying a racial equity lens, human-centered …

KEEP OAKLAND HOUSED

The Oakland Fund is proud to partner with KOH in supporting our communities.

Keep Oakland Housed is a unique program that focuses on preventing homelessness before it starts. It’s a partnership with direct service providers, in collaboration with Mayor Schaaf’s office, that offers legal services and emergency financial assistance. Keep Oakland Housed is one of the brightest spots in the fight to end homelessness in the Bay Area. This virtual press conference discussed highlights from a new report detailing the program’s first two years, including data that gives a picture of housing insecurity during the pandemic.

This virtual press conference discussed highlights from a new report detailing the program’s first two years, including data that gives a picture of housing insecurity during the pandemic.

(Above copy from “Keep Oakland Housed” youtube channel)

CIVIC DESIGN LAB

Oakland’s Departments of Transport and Race and Equity use a design approach
to reduce fines and fees for low income residents

In collaboration with government agencies, local businesses and communities, the Civic Design Lab improves public services by applying a racial equity lens, human-centered design and systems thinking to public sector problems. It uses a data-centered approach to make government more accessible to residents and employees by designing solutions that meet the diverse needs and values of the people and government it serves.

The Civic Design Lab is the methodology the Oakland Fund for Public Innovation uses to assess and develop new initiatives. In 2019, Oakland’s Department of Race and Equity and the Department of Transport used a design approach with City staff and local communities to examine Street Sweeping, Parking and Towing services. These sessions suggested ways to eliminate and reduce the service fines and fees which disproportionately affect low-income residents.

OFPI has partnered with Citibank to fund a program of service design projects across the City:

  • Rent Adjustment Program: a redesign of the online process to make it more user-friendly for both tenants and property owners, improving the Healthy Housing inspection process, and streamlining partnerships.
  • Oakland Promise children’s savings account parent liaisons to redesign their role in sign up, marketing and ongoing parent engagement.
  • Alameda County workforce development and the City of Oakland Health and Human Services to map the prisoner re-entry journey identifying opportunities for service collaboration.

To date, over 100 staff and community members have used the City’s design services across seven different service areas.