UWBA Better Bay: Affordable Housing Month Wrap-up | Owning the Dream | UWBA Awards Housing Grants | Residents Face Persistent Housing Crisis
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!??
As we recognize Affordable Housing Month, we focus on the critical issues surrounding housing accessibility and the inspiring stories of those who have navigated these challenges.??
This month, we follow Shekinah's inspiring journey to homeownership, revealing the systemic barriers and triumphs in the Bay Area housing market. We’ll also learn how UWBA is supporting local organizations to increase access to stable and affordable housing through our grantmaking efforts and get insights from our latest 211 Helpline report, highlighting the ongoing housing needs in our community.?
?As a bonus, we’ll bring you into the celebration of our first SparkPoint? location at a four-year university, San Francisco State, and into the discussion of housing inequities and the importance of policy changes for creating stable communities, with South San Francisco Mayor, James Coleman.?
Thank you for your continued support as we work together to promote housing justice and support our Bay Area neighbors across the region!?
Owning the Dream
The narrative tends to sound grim—that Bay Area homes are unreachable, unaffordable, and inaccessible for the average person. But there is light. Shekinah’s journey to homeownership not only gives us a bit of hope but also serves as a critical examination of our housing system.
While many believe, rightfully so, that homes are simply unavailable, the real crux of the issue often lies in the systemic barriers that make it unnecessarily arduous for potential homeowners even to attempt a purchase.?
“There was nothing in my origin story to support that desire, I just knew that I was tired of the uncertainty of being a renter.”? Shekinah, UWBA Ambassador?
As a public school educator, Shekinah was under no illusions about the difficulties she would face when she embarked on her journey to homeownership. Featured briefly in the New York Times, her story sheds light on the opportunity and purchasing power of Community Land Trusts (CLT). What the Times article won’t say, is the relentless persistence required to navigate a convoluted system.?
In Honor of Affordable Housing Month Bay Area Housing? Grants!?
United Way Bay Area (UWBA) is awarding grants to 24 Bay Area organizations as part of our affordable housing grantmaking efforts. These grants support non-profit organizations working to increase access to stable and affordable housing, address the racial wealth gap, prevent homelessness, and promote policy advocacy around the issue.??
“I found the process of establishing policy for how grants would be distributed invaluable. The opportunity to help fund our community organizations which oftentimes are the only safety net for families, was eye-opening. Learning from top to bottom how funding is determined and then voting on resource distribution with people who have lived experiences has been a rewarding insight and I am grateful to be a part of the process” - Liat Meitzenheimer, UWBA Ambassador?
Ten of the grants, totaling $150,000, were decided by a panel of seven UWBA Ambassadors with lived experience facing housing insecurity in the region. UWBA has contributed more than $2 million in funding for local nonprofits since the launch of our housing justice initiative.?
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Bay Area Residents Face Persistent Housing Crisis?
United Way Bay Area released its quarterly 211?Helpline Snapshot report, featuring data on the calls and texts the nonprofit’s 211 call center received from Bay Area residents reaching out for help from January through March 2024.??
“Housing remains the number one reason Bay Area residents are calling 211… It’s also worth noting that calls for other basic needs such as utilities and food vary greatly, especially when looking at race/ethnicity and the city the caller is from.” - Clare Margason, 211 Director, UWBA ?
?According to the report, 10,577 calls or texts for help came into 211 during the 90-day period, up 7.2% from the previous quarter. Nearly half of all contacts came from residents seeking housing support. The counties with the most pressing need for housing support are San Mateo and Santa Clara.?
SparkPoint At San Francisco State!?
UWBA opened its first SparkPoint location at a four-year university, and we couldn’t be more excited!??
SparkPoint centers work with families to meet their basic needs, increase their income, build their credit, increase their savings, and reduce their debt. Financial coaches work one-on-one with clients to thrive by setting goals and recognizing outcomes – including becoming and remaining housed.?
Bonus: Just A Moment Ep 4: Housing? Justice?
To close out Affordable Housing Month, here’s another look at episode four of our six-episode video series, Just A Moment.
In this episode, we’re talking with South San Francisco Mayor, James Coleman and UWBA Director of Housing Justice, Karen Nemsick, about the historical roots of current housing inequities. We’ll also highlight the importance of policy changes, regional collaboration, and creating stable communities through accessible and affordable housing for all.?
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Thank you for your continuing support!