|
|
|
|
HISTORY
OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY
The
Housing Authority of the City of Alameda was created by City Council Resolution
No. 2507 on August 8, 1940. The
Authority was created to meet the housing need produced by the opening of
Alameda Naval Air Station (NAS) earlier that year. The
first housing complex, the 200-unit Woodstock Defense Housing Project just
across the street from NAS, was built in less than four months.
During World War II, Alameda's population grew rapidly, rising from
35,000 to 90,000. The newcomers
came to work at war-related construction jobs at Bethlehem, United Engineering,
General Engineering & Dry Dock, Pacific Bridge, etc. To meet the housing need, the Housing Authority built more
than 4,800 housing units during the war years, all on land leased by the U. S.
government. Most of the buildings
were built as temporary housing only; the lifetime of these buildings was only a
few years. It was believed that
they would be torn down at the end of the war when all the workers went
"home." Rather
than return "home," however, workers stayed.
Service personnel and veterans also returned to Alameda.
The housing need actually increased.
By March 1946, there were 885 families on a waiting list for housing.
Year after year, plans for demolition were postponed.
During the 1950s, however, several complexes were demolished or purchased
by the residents (i.e., Woodstock). By
1960, the number of housing units was reduced to 1,500. During
the 1960s, planned demolitions brought controversy.
On June 20, 1966, the NAACP organized a camp-in at Franklin Park to
protest imminent evictions. One
hundred people occupied the Gold Coast park for several days.
As a result, Mayor Godfrey agreed to halt evictions, to tidy up enough of
the remaining units to house the tenants decently, and to resign if he failed.
In 1968, these units were demolished, but the families were found housing
in other complexes smoothing the transition. CURRENT
HOUSING STOCK
With
the 1970s, a new era began for the Housing Authority.
Between 1971 and 1973, Esperanza,
a 120-unit family complex was built. It
is the Housing Authority's only "public housing" complex. In
1975, the Park-Otis complex with 65 units, now called Anne
B. Diament Senior Plaza, was completed.
Also in 1975, the Modulars, 40 pre-fabricated concrete units moved from
Sacramento, were installed in their current location. In 1976, the AUSD Homes were moved onto Housing Authority
property to house 13 families. These
three complexes make up the Housing Authority-Owned Section 8 Program.
On August 5, 1997, the Board of Commissioners renamed the Modulars and
AUSD Homes. The Modulars and two single family homes and the triplex that
were part of AUSD Homes that are next to the Modulars, were renamed The
Rosefield Village. The
remaining AUSD Homes, located next to Parrot Village and the Community Garden,
were renamed Parrot Gardens. Parrot Village was completed in 1981; its 50 units replacing an old complex of 100 units. Except for Woodstock, these 100 units were the last of the war-time housing. The completion of the 43-unit Eagle Village in 1983 helped to ease the housing shortage. In
1990, Independence Plaza was completed.
This 186-unit senior complex was innovative for its time.
It combines market rate units and subsidized units.
An additional operating subsidy comes from local tax increment dollars,
rather than HUD. In
1996, the Housing Authority acquired Stanford
House, a four-unit family complex,
Lincoln/Willow, a five-unit
seniors complex, and seven Condominiums,
also for seniors, which are scattered throughout Alameda. In
1998, China Clipper Plaza, a 26-unit
apartment complex was acquired. It
was named in honor of the Pan American Airways China Clipper service.
The first trans-Pacific flight left from Alameda to the Philippines in
1935. The
Housing Authority acquired land in 1998 and built three homeownership units on Regent Street.
Former Section 8, public housing and other subsidized housing customers
were able to purchase these units. In
1994, the Housing Authority acquired property located on Santa Clara Avenue. Three
homeownership units were built on this property and sold in 2001 to former
low-income tenants and Housing Authority customers.
OTHER
PROPERTY MANAGED
The
Housing Authority entered into a management agreement with the Filipino-American
Community Services Agency (FACSA), a non-profit agency, to manage two complexes.
The FACSA
Sherman Street complex has nine units and the FACSA Lincoln Avenue complex has four units. OTHER
MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Over
the years, the Housing Authority has applied for and received from the U. S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), funding for its Section 8
Program. Through this program, the
private housing market is made more available to low-income families in need.
Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers
assist about 1,600 families in finding decent and safe housing in this
community. The
Housing Authority also helps to administer the Section 8 Program at the
privately owned 40-unit complex called Playa
Del Alameda. Under an
arrangement made with the Housing Authority in 1999, this complex will remain
affordable for an additional 20 years.
|
|
Copyright © 2007 Housing Authority of the City
of Alameda. |