🧪 Every Experiment Reveals New Terrain 🚐
Owner Group makes Oakland History | Tenant Organizing in the Town | Block Party Recap | Our team grows!
Another First for the Housing Movement
Earth Weave Collective, one of our Owner Groups, is the first permit recipient of Oakland's new Vehicular Residential Facilities ordinance since it passed in 2021, which promotes cost-effective construction methods and housing types (such as vehicles (RVs) and tiny homes on wheels.
Earth Weave Collective has been organizing to create an affordable and ecologically sustainable intentional living community, or "Tiny Home Eco-Village". After finding mission-aligned sellers in West Oakland, EWC worked with EB PREC Staff to create a Purchase Right Agreement to permanently protect their land from the speculative market as they develop their village. This is a huge step forward for the tiny house movement, and also a strong demonstration of the ways EB PREC's model and collective governance practices empower us to experiment and challenge traditional models of homeownership.
During September's Community Owner Circle, we enjoyed gathering over Arizmendi's pizza, making connections during our cooperative rock-paper-scissors tournament, and passed Earth Weave's proposal to sign a Purchase Right Agreement with EB PREC. This proposal was the first by an Owner Group to be presented at and approved by our Community Owner Circle this year. Thanks to everyone who participated in the proposal process -- members in attendance asked thorough questions about feasibility and our priorities as a Cooperative that showed everyone's shared values and care for our communities!
Tenant Organizing in the Town
In our latest episode, "Tenant Organizing in the Town", we explore two stories of tenant organizing in Deep East Oakland as examples of what renters can achieve through collective struggle in Oakland and beyond! Toshia Christal of Pippin Street galvanized her neighbors to support the collective acquisition of their property by EB PREC. Dream Braggs and Favi Ramos sprang into action with their neighbors at Coliseum Connections following a devastating flood on New Years Eve 2023 that displaced over 100 tenants for months on end.
Both strategies disrupted the destabilizing practice of corporate entities buying, neglecting and trading properties as a commodity rather than a dignified and safe place for people to call home. These stories serve as a reminder that when we come together to fight for and demand change, huge wins are possible! Click the button below to watch the latest episode!
Building Community along our Corridor
Last month, the 7th Street Thrives initiative (lead by EB PREC and Bay Area LISC) hosted our first Resident Block Party, produced in partnership with Point Agency (event organizer for the Black Joy Parade). Merchants from the 7th Street Corridor came together to provide free food, resources, and activities like face-painting, free haircuts and yoga sessions to West Oaklanders.
Up until now, 7th Street Thrives has focused on economic re-activation by organizing businesses along the historic commercial corridor. Our Resident Block Party represents the kickoff of our next phase, which is focused on resident engagement, to better define the needs of our community and build a base of committed neighbors to work with.
In addition to the various activities offered to our guests, visitors shared information on services they rely on, the kinds of amenities they'd like to see on 7th Street, how they engage with local green space, and more. This community survey will help shape 7th Street Thrives's priorities and project goals as we continue to re-ignite the corridor.
Thank you to all of the vendors and organizations that showed up for our people. We can't wait to see you at the next one!
Welcome Valerie!
Join us in welcoming our newest teammate and Property Manager: Valerie Jameson! Valerie is a homegrown leader who was politicized as a teenager growing up in Richmond, CA. Witnessing the material conditions of her family and neighbors ignited her passion for radical and decolonial community transformation that benefits residents at the intersections of oppression.
In her new role she is driven to deepen movement building through the coordination of strategic place-keeping and stewardship efforts that foster belonging, sustains cultural legacy, enhances political rigor, and builds people power. We couldn't be more excited to have Valerie on our team as our cooperative network of properties grows!
Build Power in Your Workplace!
As a cooperative, EB PREC supports dignified and democratic workplaces, so we wanted to share the important work happening through the East Bay Workplace Organizing Committee (EBWOC).
EBWOC supports non-union workers in any industry to organize with their coworkers and win lasting change on the job. Workers who request support are connected with experienced labor organizers who provide one-on-one guidance through the organizing process.
So far, the local EBWOC has helped a dozen workplaces, representing more than 1,300 workers, go public with union drives and win a union. Do you need support organizing your workplace? Fill out EWOC’s Get Support form at workerorganizing.org to get in touch with a workplace organizer and win the changes you want to see at work!
This is a Stick Up!!
Let's close out our last newsletter of the year with a member submission! One of our Investor Owners, Sandra, sketched the drawing above at a gathering earlier this year - humorously highlighting the challenge of securing capital for our neighborhoods from large financial institutions meant to serve our community.
One of the features of EB PREC's model is our ability to secure capital at lower interest rates and serve as a vehicle to finance community-owned projects. We love Sandra's drawing, and the dynamic it critiques, because that is exactly what spurred the creation of our cooperative's finance strategy!
Inspired by our movement? Send us your radical creation and you could be featured in our next newsletter! Submit your creation to: info@ebprec.org
