Dear Friend,
Summertime is near, and starting June 4 Oakland's public pools will reopen to full capacity! Oaklanders of all ages will be able to take advantage of swimming lessons starting June 6, as well as training courses for City jobs such as lifeguards, water safety instructors, recreational attendants, and pool managers. Let's get our feet wet this summer, Oakland!
Welcome to the Mayor’s Weekly Briefing, your weekly Oakland news roundup. Please forward this to a friend. They may subscribe here.
In solidarity,
—Libby
MAYOR LIBBY SCHAAF
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Oakland Expands Vision to Close Digital Divide |
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Friday was an incredible day for addressing a key inequity in our community – the digital divide. In the morning FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks met with #OaklandUndivided, community organizations, and private and philanthropic partners to learn how we're transforming digital access. Then in the afternoon, our community coalition celebrated distributing 50,000 free laptops and increasing the share of low-income student households with digital access from 12% to 98%.
But we’re not slowing down, we’re doubling down. Thanks to federal, state, and local commitments, we see the end of digital discrimination in Oakland! Within 5 years, 90% of our unconnected households will be connected to the Internet – the 21st century’s key resource!
Oakland public school students can take the #OaklandUndivided Tech Check Survey to see if they qualify for FREE at-home internet and a school-loaned computer. And families can visit GetInternet.gov to see if they are eligible for reduced cost or no-cost internet.
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Advocating for More Housing Investment in DC |
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As Co-Chair of Mayors and CEOs for US Housing Investment, I visited Washington, DC this week alongside city and corporate leaders from across the nation, including Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente. Did you know that California has exhausted its share of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, the largest source of funding for affordable housing? Our bipartisan, national coalition advocated for a renewed commitment to it and other HUD programs, such as the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8).
We met at the White House with HUD's deputy director and President Biden’s special assistants for housing and urban policy, and on Capitol Hill with Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, Chair of House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing. We also met with the Interagency Council on Homelessness to discuss the President’s plan to end homelessness.
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Help Stamp Out Hunger This Saturday!
All you have to do to participate: Put a bag of nonperishable food (like peanut butter, dried beans and rice, pasta, or canned fruits and vegetables) next to the mailbox before your mail is picked up. Your mail carrier will collect the food donations when they collect your mail, and bring them to local food banks, pantries, and shelters.
Thank you to the National Association of Letter Carriers of the U.S. Postal Service and all U.S. Postal Service workers, and to Senator Nancy Skinner for lifting up this important event.
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Coliseum Place Opens More Affordable Housing |
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Affordable, energy efficient, and transit-oriented housing. Last Thursday, we opened Coliseum Place, 59 units of permanently affordable housing for families next to BART and AC Transit. H alf of the units at Coliseum Place, which is entirely solar-powered, are for families exiting homelessness, and five are reserved for those living with HIV. This city, county, state, and community collaboration took years of hard work and dedicated partners to make it a reality – and we still have much more work to do. This project wouldn't be possible without Oakland voters, who passed Measure KK to create more deeply affordable homes for our most vulnerable residents.
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Promoting Elders' Independence, Age-Friendly Cities |
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The Center for Elders' Independence recently celebrated their 40th anniversary. Since 1982, CEI has been a community leader in promoting the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of seniors in Oakland and beyond. Here in Oakland, they established the PACE program, which supports seniors’ autonomy and ability to stay living safely at home, as well as working with the City of Oakland and other communities to create age-friendly cities that are safe and welcoming for people of all ages for generations to come.
We lift up CEI's commitment to promoting holistic, comprehensive, high-quality preventive healthcare and social services for East Bay seniors regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender orientation, religion, abilities, or language spoken. Thank you CEI for all you do to make Oaklanders' golden years more healthy and active!
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An awesome picture of Planting Justice volunteers headed out to deliver trees to the community. Planting Justice is an East Oakland-based non-profit that was the subject of a recent profile by the San Francisco Chronicle. Backed by state funding, this grass-roots organization is currently in the process of providing 1,000 free fruit trees to East Oakland residents, who are disproportionately affected by pollution and environmental hazards. A big thank-you to Planting Justice for their commitment to food sovereignty, environmental and economic justice, and community healing.
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COMMUNITY EVENTS AND RESOURCES |
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High School students can pre-register to vote at ages 16 & 17 and be ready to vote at 18! Schools are encouraged to help students become civically aware and engaged. Register here!
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Attention problem-solvers: we need YOU to propose ideas to tackle homelessness, abandoned vehicles and illegal dumping, and violent crime in Oakland for the City Challenge Oakland. Visit the website for a chance to have your idea selected and brought to life.
- The City’s Economic & Workforce Development Department has launched a permanent business support program in Oakland’s neighborhoods. The Neighborhood Business Assistance program has added a sixth location and opened appointment dates for Oakland entrepreneurs and business owners to get advice and support. Appointments can be booked online at this link or by calling (510) 238-7398.
- REMINDER: Even though the federal moratorium has ended, Oakland's eviction moratorium remains in place. Find rental resources here.
OPPORTUNITIES
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This summer, several Bay Area community colleges are offering free or low-cost summer learning opportunities for high school and middle school students. Find more info here.
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The Girl's Equity Movement is accepting applications to their 2022-2023 Refined GEMs Program cohort in the US. Girls Equity Movement aims to catalyze change by equipping young women with the networking, training, and leadership skills they need to change the world. 9th-12th grade high school girls are encouraged to apply here!
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Reading Partners San Francisco Bay Area is recruiting 42 AmeriCorps members to serve for 11 months during the 2022-23 school year in various positions to support students, schools, and communities. The term starts August 23rd - apply now to start your work in education and hear back with a final decision within 7 business days.
- The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration is looking to fill its field offices across the state with full-time entry-level hires. View the job posting directly here.
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Interested in serving your city and contributing to a holistic, comprehensive, vision of public safety? Consider a career with Oakland Police Department at opdjobs.com
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Are you committed to fair housing and rent regulation in Oakland? The Housing, Residential Rent and Relocation Board (aka the Rent Board) enforces the Rent Adjustment Ordinance and fosters fair housing for a diverse population of renters, hears rent adjustment appeals, and develops regulations for the Rent Adjustment Program. This is a great opportunity to learn more about rent regulation in Oakland as well as serve the community! You can learn more and fill out an online application here.
- The City of Oakland is looking for qualified applicants to fill positions in our Planning & Building Department. Work with our experienced staff in the Strategic Planning or Zoning Divisions or our Digital Unit. Learn more and apply here.
- Oakland residents have access to 5,000 free online courses in multiple languages to help advance your career of prepare to return to work. Learn more here.
- Oakland Unified School District is hiring for a variety of roles! Find out more at the OUSD Jobs Portal.
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AC Transit is hiring bus operators. Jobs start at $22.11/hour after paid training. Learn more about further opportunities here.
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