In January of 1995, the Alameda Reuse and Redevelopment Authority (ARRA) adopted its Community Reuse Plan which includes a regionally-based, envelope of opportunity to address gaps in Alameda County's homeless continuum of care system. The opportunities negotiated by the Alameda County Homeless Base Conversion Collaborative (now called The Alameda Point Collaborative) include: 241 housing units; land and buildings to be used for supportive services, employment training and economic development, including a 70,000 square foot community center; and a 90-slot child care center and a 15% first source hiring agreement. All properties will be conveyed to collaborative members through no-cost, fifty-nine year leases.

This year, the Alameda Point Collaborative will open its first set of transitional and permanent housing units at Alameda Point and begin offering needed support services. In preparation, the Collaborative has been planning for the creation of an integrated, coordinated service program at Alameda Point which maximizes the resources available to all homeless persons utilizing the housing at the base, as well as making those services available to other needy Alameda residents. When completed, the Collaborative hopes to have created a seamless homeless service system that utilizes common intake and assessment procedures, establishes personal and career goals for each client, and has access to needed support services including employment training and placement opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions

1) What is the structure of the Alameda Point Collaborative?

The Alameda Point Collaborative has existed since 1994 as an association of homeless providers who came together to access opportunities created by the closure of East Bay military bases. Since that time, it has been guided on a daily basis by an active steering committee and sub-committee structure. Currently, providers at Alameda Point and at the Oakland Army Base are creating separate 501(c)3’s to act as the umbrella organizations for the ongoing operation of the housing and facilities at each base respectively. The new Alameda Point ‘s organizational by-laws include non-homeless representation from the community as part of its board membership goals.

Individual housing developers will oversee the operation of their respective housing clusters while the Alameda Point Collaborative will be responsible for the operation of the community center and related supportive services, The Collaborative staff positions will include administrative support, a service coordinator, an employment coordinator, and a fund developer. Upon incorporation, the Collaborative will hire an executive director to manage the day-to-day operation of the Collaborative.

2)  Who are the homeless housing developers and service providers involved and when will the housing be occupied?

United Indian Nations has developed 12 units of transitional housing for families, survivors of domestic violence, youth and single men. Occupancy of their units will begin July 1999.

Resources for Community Development will develop 32 units of housing for Persons with AIDS and survivors of domestic violence. They expect to begin construction this fall and begin occupancy next spring.

University Avenue Housing will develop 30 units of housing for families. They are also going to be operating a community garden and nursery at the former base. They envision beginning construction at the end of the year.

San Leandro Shelter for Women and Children will offer 53 units of transitional and permanent housing to survivors of domestic violence both single women and women with children. They hope to commence construction this winter.

Dignity Housing West will offer 32 units of transitional and permanent housing for families. They forecast their construction to commence sometime in the first half of
2000.

Operation Dignity will rehabilitate 28 units to serve veterans, both single men and women as well as families. They anticipate beginning construction this winter.

Case management services will be offered by these organizations in conjunction with a range of additional services including: drug and alcohol services, mental health services, life-skills education, child care, employment training and placement, transportation and primary health care.

Other organizations involved in the supportive service planning include: Alameda Red
Cross, Xanthos, Friendship House, Native American Health Center, Building
Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), and Eden Intake and Referral.

3)  Who will be living in the Collaborative’s housing at the base?

Under the requirements of the federal legislation which governs the conveyance of the Collaborative’s property, all housing tenants will be formerly homeless individuals and families. We anticipate most if not all of our 400-700 housing consumers coming from emergency shelters and transitional housing from throughout the East Bay via formal referral from participating and other homeless service providers. Transitional housing residents will occupy their housing from six months up to two years.