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.

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. 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 Rosefield Village. The remaining AUSD Homes, located next to Parrot Village and the Community Garden, were renamed Parrot Gardens.