UWBA Better Bay: 5 Ways Communities Benefit from Affordable Housing | Food Stipends to Fighting Evictions | May is Affordable Housing Month
United Way Bay Area
For over 100 years we've brought together individuals and organizations across the Bay Area to end the cycle of poverty!
Welcome to the latest issue of the Better Bay Newsletter!??
In this issue, we're sharing Ryland's moving journey from financial hardship to advocacy. Ryland channels his experiences with financial stability and fighting eviction into powerful advocacy for accessible resources across the Bay Area.??
We’ll also get ready for Affordable Housing Month by exploring the far-reaching benefits of affordable housing on whole communities and our very own Manager of Public Policy, Jess Hudson, will be discussing how to get beyond Article 34 in San Mateo County. Plus, we celebrate our dedicated Free Tax Help volunteers!??
Thank you for standing with us in creating a foundation for prosperity and dignity for all Bay Area neighbors!
Food Stipends to Fighting Evictions
Ryland was a student at Skyline College when he found himself facing the all-too-common financial challenges that can plague young adults. On top of that, tax season deadlines were approaching, and the once-clear path to utilizing free tax service had become cluttered with obstacles, chiefly a lack of available appointments.
He is also a UWBA Ambassador, using his personal experience with our services to advocate for broader access to resources for the Bay Area. It’s an experience that includes support that would be critical in helping him and his mother fight eviction during a housing crisis, exacerbated by the pandemic.?
“The meal stipend helped… this is money that we use towards food. So, that meant there’s this much more money that [we could] use towards whatever we owe...” - Ryland
5 Ways Communities Benefit from Affordable Housing???
There is the myth that affordable housing brings down the value of a neighborhood or doesn’t provide benefits to a community. Misconceptions about affordable housing developments are based on fear of negative stereotypes, property values, and the change it brings to neighborhoods—all of which are common arguments in opposition to a new housing community.?
?"In fact, it’s the lack of affordable housing that can negatively impact a community. This housing shortage in major metropolitan areas, costs the American economy about $2 trillion a year in lower wages and productivity."
Let’s discuss the actual benefits these bring to communities that opt to be more inclusive.?
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Special THANKS to Our Free Tax Help Sites!
Congratulations to all our Free Tax Help volunteers on a successful tax season. Thank you for helping us get millions of dollars in tax refunds back into the hands of our communities, individuals, and families!?
If you’re thinking of volunteering in the future, watch how?Maxine?describes the experience, then check out our volunteer page for more information. We hope to see you next year!?
May is Affordable Housing Month
Affordable Housing Month is right around the corner! There are events planned around the Bay Area to give residents opportunities to learn more about the efforts and initiatives happening in their communities and to get involved.?
Our very own Manager of Public Policy, Jess Hudson, will be a featured panelist at the?Unlocking Affordable Housing?event on Thursday, May 23, 2024, along with South San Francisco Mayor, James Coleman, and One San Mateo Vice Chair, Karyl Eldridge.??
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Thank you for your continuing support!