Contact: Ling Woo Liu
lliu[at]sff.org
OAKLAND, CA—Since its launch last year, Keep Oakland Housed (KOH) has already helped hundreds of Oakland residents avoid homelessness by providing emergency financial assistance, legal representation, and supportive services.
KOH began helping residents in July 2018; the program was officially announced in October. Between July 1 and December 31, 2018, KOH’s legal and financial assistance helped 473 households remain housed by preserving the household’s current tenancy or securing additional time and other benefits for relocation.
The San Francisco Foundation, with a major contribution from Kaiser Permanente, provided a total of $9 million in funding to sustain KOH through the year 2021. KOH is operated by three nonprofit agencies—Bay Area Community Services, Catholic Charities of the East Bay and East Bay Community Law Center.
The program also works in partnership with Mayor Libby Schaaf and the City of Oakland. As part of Mayor Schaaf’s inaugural events this week, a celebration will be held on Friday, January 11, at the Fox Theater, with proceeds benefiting Keep Oakland Housed. Tickets are available at CelebrateOakland.com.
“We are pleased that Keep Oakland Housed has already prevented so many families from losing their housing and potentially spiraling into homelessness,” said Fred Blackwell, CEO of the San Francisco Foundation. “With continuing support, we’re confident that this model can help thousands more Oaklanders remain housed, and rooted in our community.”
KOH services are available to all Oakland residents who are experiencing a housing crisis who have a household income at or below 50 percent of the area median income with priority given to extremely low-income households. For more information, visit KeepOaklandHoused.org.
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About Keep Oakland Housed
Keep Oakland Housed is committed to preventing Oakland residents from losing their housing. Three nonprofit partners—Bay Area Community Services, Catholic Charities of the East Bay, and East Bay Community Law Center—work together to provide legal representation, emergency financial assistance, and supportive services. The program is made possible by funding from Kaiser Permanente and the San Francisco Foundation, which also serves as administrator of the program. The City of Oakland is supporting Keep Oakland Housed with City resources including fundraising and staff support.
