Better Neighborhoods, Same Neighbors : Annual Report 2021-2022

The Better Neighborhoods, Same Neighbors (BNSN) Initiative envisions an East Oakland with healthy surroundings, safe and accessible transportation and thriving arts and culture that builds community wealth and ensures housing is a human right for existing East Oakland residents. The initiative is supported by California Strategic Growth Council’s (SGC’s) Transformative Climate Communities Program with funds from California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities. In Oakland, the “BNSN: An East Oakland Neighborhood Initiative” proposal will use its $28.2 million award to implement a community plan for neighborhood development without displacement. The proposal will build a 55-unit affordable housing community that also includes a new health clinic. The proposal incorporates local art and culture into projects including active transportation, trees to promote healthier surroundings, and a new nursery that will provide organic produce and food-producing plants to the community. The University of San Francisco (USF) is the evaluator of the BNSN initiative. Researchers in the USF team will be working with the project partners and stakeholders for training, evaluation and reporting. USF will be documenting the progress and highlighting the accomplishments of the 5 projects and 3 transformative plans over the course of 4 years in six deep East Oakland neighborhoods. This report summarizes activity occurring for the grant from 2021-2022 and is the first in a series of 4 such annual reports evaluating the projects and transformative plans