Telling Our Stories: The Housing Chronicles

Send a text

Alan Dones, a revered developer sits with us and tells a story that began fourteen years ago - and hasn't ended yet. His journey developing what is known as Thomas Berkeley Square, the principled and unwavering way he navigates obstacles, the grace with which he speaks truth to racist power, and the eager joy with which he looks at the future is a testament to the best parts of humanity. This is the second half of a two-part series.

Support the show

Send a text

Alan Dones, a revered developer sits with us and tells a story that began fourteen years ago - and hasn't ended yet. His journey developing what is known as Thomas Berkeley Square, the principled and unwavering way he navigates obstacles, the grace with which he speaks truth to racist power, and the eager joy with which he looks at the future is a testament to the best parts of humanity. This is Part I of a two-part series.

Support the show

Send a text

We return with this final segment (recorded at the same time as Episodes 16 and 17) which wraps up our three-part interview on Berkeley’s first Affordable Housing Preference Policy. City of Berkeley’s Community Development Project Coordinator Anna Cash, former Program Director of the Community Economic Justice Clinic at East Bay Community Law center, Jasmine Poyaoan and our very own Ayanna Davis former Deputy Executive Director at Healthy Black Families discuss: What were some of the hardships during the organizing of this policy? What are some of the lessons we can pass on from those hardships? What are their hopes with how this Right to Stay, Right to Return takes root and becomes a tool for repairing harm.

Connect with our guest(s):                                                                                                       

Ayanna Davis - former Deputy Executive Director at Healthy Black Families, Inc.  Website: https://healthyblackfam.org/e4bb Email:[email protected] Phone: (510) 285-6689 

Anna Cash - Community Development Project Coordinator at City of Berkeley Website: https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/affordable-housing-berkeley/apply-affordable-housing-preferences Email:[email protected] Phone: (510) 981-5304  

Jaasmin Poyaoan - former Program Director of Community Economic Justice Clinic at East Bay Community Law Center and current Program Director of Economic Justice Program at Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights (San Francisco)                                  Website: https://ebclc.org/ and https://lccrsf.org/ Email:[email protected] Phone: (209) 787-0093               

 Relevant Links:

 1. Applying for Berkeley Housing Preference Certificates: https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/affordable-housing-berkeley/apply-affordable-housing-preferences  

2. Doorway: The New Regional Bay Area Affordable Housing Portal: https://housingbayarea.mtc.ca.gov/ 

3. Finland’s Housing First https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2019/05/Taina-Finnish-Housing-First-Policy.pdf

4. Emergent Strategy: Organizing for Social Change (Adrianne Marie Brown’s Book Summary) – Forte Labs https://fortelabs.com/blog/emergent-strategy-organizing-for-social-justice/

Support the show

Send a text

In this Part II of our three-part interview, we continue our conversation with Anna Cash (Community Development Project Coordinator at City of Berkeley, Jassmin Poyaoan former Program Director of the Community Economic Justice Clinic at East Bay Community Law center and current Program Director at Economic Justice Program at Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights (San Francisco), and Ayanna Davis (Deputy Executive Director at Healthy Black Families). We dive deeper into Berkley’s new Preference Policy. What is a policy? What might this new policy mean for those that were unfairly pushed out or are currently at risk of systematically being run out of Berkeley?
Connect with our guest(s):
Ayanna Davis  - Deputy Executive Director at Healthy Black Families, Inc.
Website: https://healthyblackfam.org/e4bb
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (510) 285-6689
Anna Cash - Community  Development Project Coordinator at City of Berkeley
Website: https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/affordable-housing-berkeley/apply-affordable-housing-preferences
Email:  [email protected]
Phone: (510) 981-5304
Jaasmin Poyaoan - former Program Director of  Community Economic Justice Clinic at East Bay Community Law Center and current Program Director of Economic Justice Program at Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights (San Francisco)
Website: https://ebclc.org/ and https://lccrsf.org/
Email:  [email protected]
Phone: (209) 787-0093
 Relevant Links:
1. Affordable Housing Rental Listings on Alameda County Housing Portal (for Maudelle Shirek Building applications click “see rentals”): 
https://housing.acgov.org
2. Applying for Berkeley Housing Preference Certificates:
https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/affordable-housing-berkeley/apply-affordable-housing-preferences
3. What is a policy – Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Policy
4. From Prop 209 to Prop 16: Historical, Legal, and Activist Perspectives on Affirmative Action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRH7-g0Y1oI
5. Opinion: Turning Crisis Into Opportunity: Why Berkeley Need TOPA Now: https://baysfuture.org/opinion-turning-crisis-into-opportunity-why-berkeley-needs-topa-now/
6. Housing Protection, Preserving, and Producing – Metropolitan Transportation Commission:https://mtc.ca.gov/funding/investment-strategies-commitments/housing-solutions/housing-protection-preservation-production

Support the show

Send a text

In this Part I of a three-part series we are joined by City of Berkeley’s Anna Cash City of Berkeley’s Community Development Project Coordinator, Jassmin Poyaoan former Program Director of the Community Economic Justice Clinic at  East Bay Community Law Center and current Program Director at Economic Justice Program at Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights (San Francisco), and Ayanna Davis Deputy Executive Director at Healthy Black Families as we discuss the housing conditions in the Bay Area which forced the community to organize towards what is now the City of Berkeley’s first Housing Preference Policy - which went into effect January 1, 2024.
Connect with our guest(s):
Ayanna Davis  - Deputy Executive Director at Healthy Black Families, Inc.
Website: https://healthyblackfam.org/e4bb
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (510) 285-6689
Anna Cash - Community  Development Project Coordinator at City of Berkeley
Website: https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/affordable-housing-berkeley/apply-affordable-housing-preferences
Email:  [email protected]
Phone: (510) 981-5304
Jaasmin Poyaoan - former Program Director of  Community Economic Justice Clinic at East Bay Community Law Center and current Program Director of Economic Justice Program at Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights (San Francisco)
Website: https://ebclc.org/ and https://lccrsf.org/
Email:  [email protected]
Phone: (209) 787-0093
 Relevant Links:
1. Roots, Race, and Place Report - Othering and Belonging: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/rootsraceplace
2. Affordable Housing Policy:
https://berkeleyspeaks.org/affordable-housing-preference-policy-hpp/
3. Black Exodus From Berkeley:
https://dailycal-projects.netlify.app/2022-01-21-exodus
4. Is the Tech Boom Putting Pressure on Berkeley Rents? – Berkeleyside: https://www.berkeleyside.org/2014/07/03/is-the-tech-boom-putting-pressure-on-berkeley-rents
5. The Mental Health Consequences of the Global Housing Crisis – National Institutes of Health:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9797748/#:~:text=These%20patients%20struggle%20with%20a,and%20depression%20for%20several%20reasons

Support the show

Send a text

In this part III (and final) segment of our interview with Friends of Adeline, we speak with Ms. Ritchie Smith, Willie Phillips, and Chris Schildt about their perspective of the initiative known as Equity for Black Berkeley, its funding and thoughts on solidarity.
Contact Guests:
Phone (510) 338-7843
Email[email protected] 
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofAdeline/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/foaberkeley/
Website https://www.friendsofadeline.org/about/
Relevant Links:
Equity for Black Berkeley - Healthy Black Families
https://healthyblackfam.org/e4bb
Tulsa Massacre Survivor Speaks Out - Good Morning America
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN0n03FsmXg
Survivors of Tulsa Massacre Are Appealing a Judges Decision to Dismiss Their Case for Reparations - CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/10/us/tulsa-race-massacre-survivors-appeal-judge-dismissal-lawsuit/index.html
Harriet Tubman Terraces Residents Face Horrendous Violations In Their Homes - Friends of Adeline: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWB1FrIZ1rE
A Tale of Two Cities - Alta: https://www.altaonline.com/culture/a38403159/black-repertory-ishmael-reed/

Support the show

Send a text

In this Part II of our three-part interview with key members of Friends of Adeline - a local South Berkeley organization, we continue our conversation with Ms. Ritchie Smith, Willie Phillips, Mari Mendonca, and Chris Schildt. How is the endeavor towards equity situated in the current American culture and its systems? Who do we organize - and how?
Contact Guests:
Phone (510) 338-7843
Email[email protected] 
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofAdeline/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/foaberkeley/
Website https://www.friendsofadeline.org/about/
Relevant Links:
Redlining: The History of Berkeley's Segregated Neighborhoods - California Housing Partnership: https://chpc.net/news/redlining-the-history-of-berkeleys-segregated-neighborhoods/
Racism In Urban Planning - Forward Pinellas:
https://forwardpinellas.org/transportation-disadvantaged/racism-in-urban-planning/
Planning Citizens Commit to Change On Racial Inequities: Planet Citizen: https://www.planetizen.com/news/2021/10/114955-planning-directors-commit-change-racial-inequities
TOPA - Partnership for the Bay's Future: https://baysfuture.org/opinion-turning-crisis-into-opportunity-why-berkeley-needs-topa-now/
California Fair Political Practices Commission (Ethics training of public officials):
https://www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/public-officials-and-employees-rules-/ethics-training.html
Charles Austin: 'President of Berkeley" Dies at 77 - Berkeleyside:
https://www.berkeleyside.org/2017/06/26/charles-austin-president-south-berkeley-dies-77
As the Word Burns, Organizers Are Burning Out - The Nation: https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/organizer-burnout/
Breaking Isolation: Self Care and Community Care Tools for Our People -  The Audre Lorde Project: https://alp.org/breaking-isolation-self-care-and-community-care-tools-our-people

Support the show

Send a text

In this Part I of a three-part interview, we meet some key members of Friends of Adeline - Ms. Ritchie Smith, Willie Phillips, Mari Mendonca, and Chris Schildt. These four neighbors that call South Berkeley home tell us who they are and how they (along with other neighbors) came to be the mighty Friends of Adeline.
Contact Guests:
Phone (510) 338-7843
Email[email protected] 
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofAdeline/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/foaberkeley/
Website https://www.friendsofadeline.org/about/

Relevant Links:
Adeline Corridor Plan: https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/our-work/adopted-plans/adeline-corridor-specific-plan
Second Great Migration: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Great_Migration_(African_American)
Japanese American Life During Internment: https://www.nps.gov/articles/japanese-american-internment-archeology.htm
Theodore ’Ted’ Ohashi – Cal Basketball Player, YMCA Coach: https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Theodore-Ted-Ohashi-Cal-basketball-player-2466955.php
Sewage in Berkeley’s Creeks: https://www.bpfp.org/affiliate-groups/F5C/SewageInCreeks.htm
Land Acknowledgement Recognizing Berkeley as the Ancestral, Unceded Home of the Ohlone People (City of Berkeley):
https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2022-10-11%20Item%2019%20Land%20Acknowledgement%20Recognizing%20Berkeley.pdf

Support the show

Send a text

In this last of a three-part interview with Alan Dones, we discuss where the money comes from in development, how the stark contrast of who has access to it and who doesn’t undergirds the continuity of institutional racism, and how that then, in turn, has robbed Black people of building baseline financial security since the inception of this nation.
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/36828
Does America Need a Truth and Reconciliation Commission?
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/08/16/does-america-need-a-truth-and-reconciliation-commission-395332
How Do Pension Funds Work?
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing-strategy/090916/how-do-pension-funds-work.asp
Founders and Venture Capital: Racism Is Costing Us Billions
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesnonprofitcouncil/2018/02/15/founders-and-venture-capital-racism-is-costing-us-billions/?sh=d73d4692e4ae
Race Influences Professional Investors' Financial Judgements
https://www.sec.gov/files/amac-background-race-influences.pdf
How Racial Discrimination in Homeowners Insurance Contributes to Systemic Racism and Redlining
https://consumerfed.org/how-racial-discrimination-in-homeowners-insurance-contributes-to-systemic-racism-and-redlining/
The Insurance Industry Confronts Its Own Racism
https://www.investopedia.com/race-and-insurance-5075141
Insurance Redlining
https://www.propertyinsurancecoveragelaw.com/2023/01/articles/insurance/insurance-redlining/
Exclusionary Zoning: Its Effects On Racial Discrimination in the Housing Market
https://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/written-materials/2021/06/17/exclusionary-zoning-its-effect-on-racial-discrimination-in-the-housing-market/
Discredit Disrupt and Destroy: FBI Records Acquired by the Library Reveal Violent Surveillance of Black Leaders, Civil Rights Organizations
https://www.lib.berkeley.edu/about/news/fbi
Death of the Willie Lynch Speech
https://www.lb7.uscourts.gov/documents/13-28441.pdf
West Oakland BART Station Project by Alan Dones
https://mandelastation.com/about/alan-dones/
Connect With Our Guest:
Alan Dones  - Strategic Urban Development Alliance (SUDA)
Website: https://sudallc.com/
Email:  [email protected]
Phone:  (510) 482-7020

Support the show

Send a text

In this is Part II of a three-part interview with Alan Dones, he breaks down what development is, how the intricacies of community engagement fit into large scale development, and what a healthy relationship between the two might look like.
Deepening Knowledge:
What Is a Planning Commission?
https://www.planetizen.com/definition/planning-commissions
Planning Commission 101
https://www.calcities.org/docs/default-source/planning-commissioners-academy---session-materials/planning-commission-101-the-nuts-and-bolts-of-planning.pdf?sfvrsn=bd0a7716_3
A Study of Area Planning Commissions in California
https://sgf.senate.ca.gov/sites/sgf.senate.ca.gov/files/AreaPlanningCommissions.pdf
Racism In Urban Planning
https://forwardpinellas.org/transportation-disadvantaged/racism-in-urban-planning/
Planning Directors Commit to Change on Racial Inequities
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2021/10/114955-planning-directors-commit-change-racial-inequities
Repository of City Racial Equity Policies and  Decisions
https://www.nlc.org/resource/repository-of-city-racial-equity-policies-and-decisions/
SF Planning Commission's Community Engagement Practice Recommendations
https://sfplanning.org/resource/engagement-recommendations
City of Berkeley Planning Commission
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/planning-commission
Integrating Community Outreach into the Development Process
https://www.novoco.com/periodicals/articles/integrating-community-outreach-development-process
City of East Palo Alto's Community Outreach Requirements Handout
https://www.cityofepa.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/community_amp_economic_development/page/2981/handouts-major_project.pdf
West Oakland BART Station Project by Alan
https://mandelastation.com/about/alan-dones/
Connect With Our Guest:
Alan Dones  - Strategic Urban Development Alliance (SUDA)
Website: https://sudallc.com/
Email:  [email protected]
Phone:  (510) 482-7020

Support the show