{"id":8380,"date":"2026-09-04T10:42:52","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T10:42:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8380"},"modified":"2026-09-04T10:42:52","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T10:42:52","slug":"opinion-a-stronger-oakland-starts-with-stable-housing-that-supports-stronger-families","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8380","title":{"rendered":"Opinion: A stronger Oakland starts with stable housing\u00a0that\u00a0supports\u00a0stronger\u00a0families"},"content":{"rendered":"
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One of the greatest privileges of my career has been creating programs that help families discover what\u2019s possible when they no longer have to wonder where they\u2019ll sleep each night. I\u2019ve seen parents return to school, veterans rebuild their lives, seniors age with dignity and children thrive.<\/p>\n

Read more Chabria: Sheriff Chad Bianco can\u2019t catch a break. That\u2019s a good thing.<\/a><\/p>\n

Few stories illustrate that better than Ericka Parker\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Years ago, Ericka was a single mother raising a son while pursuing her\u00a0education.\u00a0By her own account,\u00a0Ericka was\u00a0the fifth generation of her family trapped in a cycle of poverty. As she puts it, her plate \u201cwasn\u2019t just full\u2014it was spilling over.\u201d<\/p>\n

With stable housing and support from\u00a0Oakland Housing Authority\u00a0(OHA)\u00a0programs, Ericka\u00a0built a different future.\u00a0She completed both her bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees, learned budgeting and financial literacy through OHA\u2019s Family Self-Sufficiency Program,\u00a0which is managed by\u00a0its\u00a0Family\u00a0Community\u00a0Partnership (FCP) department,\u00a0and eventually became a homeowner. Today, she works for\u00a0OHA, helping other families pursue the same opportunities that changed her own life.<\/p>\n

While Ericka\u2019s story is remarkable, it also illustrates the life-changing opportunities stable housing can make possible. Hundreds of Oakland families have pursued higher education, achieved homeownership, advanced their careers and built greater independence because stable housing gives Oakland families the foundation to pursue opportunities that once felt out of reach.<\/p>\n

This August, OHA is joining the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO), California Association of Housing Authorities (CAHA) and housing authorities across the country to speak with one voice about the importance of preserving the federal investments that keep families stably housed. Here in Oakland, the stakes could not be higher.<\/p>\n

Oakland\u00a0remains\u00a0one of the nation\u2019s most expensive housing markets.\u00a0OHA\u00a0serves approximately\u00a035,000\u00a0residents,\u00a0roughly one\u00a0in every fourteen people in our city.\u00a0Most of the families we serve\u00a0earn less\u00a0than $20,000 a year\u00a0in a market\u00a0where\u00a0rent\u00a0can exceed $2,000 a month.\u00a0The gap between household incomes and housing costs has grown too wide for\u00a0hard work\u00a0alone to close. Federal housing\u00a0assistance\u00a0helps\u00a0close\u00a0that gap.<\/p>\n

Housing assistance does far more than help families afford rent. It creates the stability families need to pursue education, build careers, improve their health and invest in their futures. Increasingly, health care providers recognize stable housing leads to better health outcomes, fewer crises and lower public costs.<\/p>\n

Read more Asking Eric: I\u2019m not OK with my ex leaving our son with his girlfriend<\/a><\/p>\n

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Those benefits are especially important at a time when more than 5,400 of our neighbors are experiencing homelessness. A 10% reduction in federal housing funding could place nearly 3,500 additional Oakland residents at risk of losing stable housing.<\/p>\n

Working alongside nonprofit organizations, health care providers and our city, county and state partners, OHA continues to develop solutions that help families achieve lasting housing stability. But local partnerships alone cannot meet the need. Sustained federal investment remains essential.<\/p>\n

Housing is more than shelter. It is the foundation upon which people build healthy families, pursue opportunity, contribute to their communities and create brighter futures.<\/p>\n

This August,\u00a0each of us has an opportunity to help protect the stability that thousands of Oakland families depend on. Through\u00a0NAHRO\u2019s August Advocacy campaign, it takes less than three minutes to contact your members of Congress and urge them to protect the federal housing investments that keep families safely housed.<\/p>\n

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Today, Ericka Parker is passionately paying it forward, helping other Oakland families pursue the opportunities that continue to change her own life. Her story reminds us that housing assistance isn\u2019t simply about getting through a difficult moment \u2014 it\u2019s about creating the stability that allows families to rewrite their future for generations to come.<\/p>\n

Housing is about more than a roof overhead. It is the foundation for stronger families, healthier communities and a stronger Oakland. Together, let us support the federal investments and regulatory flexibility that make affordable housing possible, so every family has the opportunity to build a stable future and a place to call home.<\/p>\n

Read more Harriette Cole: My friend\u2019s indiscretion at the club made me look bad<\/a><\/p>\n

Patricia Wells is executive director of the Oakland Housing Authority.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Federal assistance gives residents the crucial foundation to build careers and achieve independence<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8379,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion"],"yoast_head":"\nOpinion: A stronger Oakland starts with stable housing\u00a0that\u00a0supports\u00a0stronger\u00a0families - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8380\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Opinion: A stronger Oakland starts with stable housing\u00a0that\u00a0supports\u00a0stronger\u00a0families - 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