Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Alameda County to release $50 million for permanent supportive housing; officials lay out board‑and‑care expansion
Summary
County housing staff said an initial $50 million capital release will fund roughly 300 permanent supportive units, and that a new flexible housing subsidy pool and higher board‑and‑care funding tiers will expand capacity; officials warned Measure W capital allocations were revised downward in the July plan and that long‑term operating subsidies remain a key challenge.
Alameda County staff told supervisors they will release an initial $50 million in capital funding for permanent supportive housing and described steps to expand rental subsidies, licensed board‑and‑care beds and interim housing supports tied to the Care First, Jails Last plan.
Michelle Starrett, the county’s housing director, said the forthcoming $50 million capital allocation is intended to produce roughly 300 studio and one‑bedroom units prioritized for people with high‑acuity behavioral health needs. “We think that $50,000,000 will get us another 300 units,” Starrett said, and added that a mix of Measure W, Measure A1 interest and BHSA funds will be combined to meet the need.
Jonathan Russell, director of Health, Housing and Homelessness, described a flexible housing subsidy pool that will initially move up to 1,000 subsidies (including 250 new subsidies per year) to expand long‑term rental assistance for people prioritized through the county’s coordinated entry list. He also said the county is launching a forensic coordinated‑entry access point to provide in‑reach services at Santa Rita Jail and mobile access for institutional settings.
Board & care expansion: H&H staff reported 21 licensed board‑and‑care facilities totaling about 350 beds across Berkeley, Oakland, San Leandro, Hayward and Fremont, and said a biannual GSA RFP will add three small sites (Hayward, Union City and Berkeley) representing ~30 additional beds. The county is piloting a fourth, higher reimbursement tier intended to sustain facilities that serve higher‑acuity residents.
Funding constraints and transparency: Staff acknowledged changes between early planning and July’s final Measure W allocations. A county official said the December plan’s larger capital target was revised and that the July board‑approved plan reduced available capital to roughly $100–150 million to reflect shifting federal and municipal budgets; Measure W and other streams will be deployed over multiple phases.
Supervisors asked for vacancy and bed‑type inventories and for clearer breakdowns by funding source and operating subsidy. Officials said data consolidation is ongoing and that RDA and departmental analysts are working to produce a consolidated inventory and reporting dashboards for the board.
Next steps include a capital procurement for supportive housing and continuing the biannual RFP process for licensed board & care. Departments said they will return with vacancy analyses, a schedule for procurement and options to preserve and support small board‑and‑care operators.
