In a recent government meeting, officials discussed significant amendments to existing grants aimed at enhancing violence prevention and intervention services in Oakland. The proposed resolution seeks to reallocate funds originally designated for three agencies that are no longer able to fulfill their service commitments, ensuring continuity of critical support for affected communities.

The resolution includes a transfer of $200,000 from Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Oakland to Youth Alive, which will provide therapy services for family members of homicide victims from July 2024 to June 2025. Additionally, $350,000 will be transferred from Movement Strategy Center to Urban Peace Movement Oakland for community healing services during the same period. Lastly, $150,000 will be redirected from Community and Youth Outreach to Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice for school-based violence interruption services.

Jenny Lin Chi, Deputy Chief of Grants, Programs, and Evaluation for the Department of Violence Prevention, emphasized the necessity of these transfers to maintain essential services. She noted that Catholic Charities had informed the department of their inability to continue services due to staffing shortages, prompting the need for reallocation to organizations capable of delivering the required support.

Council members expressed their support for the resolution, highlighting the importance of these services in addressing violence and providing necessary resources to vulnerable populations. They also raised questions about the performance metrics used to evaluate the effectiveness of the contracts, with assurances that an external evaluator, Urban Institute, is conducting a comprehensive analysis of all community-based organization contracts.

The meeting underscored a commitment to adapting and sustaining violence prevention efforts in Oakland, with plans for future evaluations to determine the allocation of resources to additional schools in need of support. The council anticipates that the approval of this resolution will expedite the execution of contracts, allowing for timely implementation of services as the new school year approaches.