First Time in a Decade: Decrease in Alameda County Homelessness
This is the news we need: Alameda County has seen its first decrease in homelessness in ten years – down by 3%, with unsheltered homelessness decreasing by 11%. The 2024 Point in Time (PIT) count stats showcase the effectiveness of strategic investments in supportive and interim housing.
BACS shows up for the community, seeking to build strong neighborhoods where everyone has a place they call home. BACS is a leading agency in the movement against homelessness in Alameda County, playing a crucial role in the homelessness system of care—from encampment outreach and coordinated entry assessments to homelessness prevention to interim and permanent housing solutions.
The positive impact is clear: Oakland’s homelessness increase has slowed dramatically, showing the lowest rise in a decade. This progress is a testament to what we can achieve together. Let’s keep up the momentum and continue making strides toward ending homelessness in our neighborhoods. Donate today to keep improving our community!
Keep People Housed
This month marks one year since the next evolution of BACS’ Keep People Housed (KPH) pilot program; a public-private partnership that was founded by BACS and private philanthropy and is now seeing public funders like the City of Oakland and Contra Costa County make investments – along with significant private foundations. To date, 600+ households in Oakland alone have been prevented from falling into homelessness – costing only $3.6 million. 99% of people served have stayed out of homelessness, with only 1% appearing in HMIS, Alameda County’s homelessness management database.
Even after the end of the eviction moratorium, when there was an expectation that the homelessness rate was going to dramatically increase, Oakland saw the slowest increase of homelessness it’s seen in the past 10 years. Many studies indicate that street homelessness can cost between $60k-100k per unhoused individual per year.
KPH find that with an average financial assistance amount of $5,727 per household, we can effectively bottleneck the funnel into homelessness. This doesn’t just save costs for tax payers; this saves unnecessary trauma for the most marginalized who are stationed at the front door of homelessness.
Paired Up to End Homelessness
BACS thrilled to highlight our partnership with Bombas, making a significant impact since 2019! Their commitment to giving back has grown from 3,500 pairs of socks in 2019 to a whooping 150,000 pairs in 2023. BACS is helping more than 17,000 people per year, and each pair of socks goes to community members experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness. Their donated socks are specially engineered with an antimicrobial treatment that extends wearability between washes, coming in darker colors to show less visible wear, and versatile sizing to fit a wide range of bodies. Not only are their donated socks good, the Bombas team is thinking deeply about their “why” and how best to help their neighbors living outdoors.
We’re grateful for Bombas’ dedication to our mission and their enthusiasm for addressing the overlooked need for socks among individuals experiencing homelessness. Thank you for pairing up with us!
Ending Homelessness Every Day
Can you imagine being undocumented and unhoused while going through cancer treatment? Francisco has been there.
Francisco was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, and faced his diagnosis with strength and adaptability. It has been hard for him to hold a stable job, afford medical care, and find housing, but he was living in his van and taking life day by day.
When Francisco’s van (and home) was stolen during a dialysis appointment in 2021, a quick-thinking nurse connected him with BACS. Francisco came to live at Delta Landing. With the support of BACS and Shelter Inc., Francisco secured a comfortable living space, where he can focus on his health and well-being. Francisco is grateful for this second chance and is determined to make the most of the time he has left. “I am not sure how much longer I will live, but I feel truly blessed and grateful to BACS.”
Every day, people like Francisco are living and dying outdoors, and it is our privilege to do “whatever it takes” to get our neighbors indoors.
BACS Hosts Summer Staff Appreciation Celebration
We turned up the summer vibes to celebrate our incredible team at the annual Staff Appreciation Summer Celebration! On this beautiful, warm day in Hayward, over 150 staff and their families gathered to celebrate the hard work we do to help our community thrive. Our team appreciated the opportunity to kick back, relax, and enjoy each other’s company outside of the usual work hustle. A huge thank you to our Community Engagement team, which organized this fantastic event, and to all our team members for their unwavering commitment and positive energy. Want to join the #WhateverItTakes team? Learn more on our website www.bayareacs.org/careers
Valley Resource Fair & Vaccine Clinic
Our Valley Wellness Center, located in Pleasanton, recently opened up our site and moved outdoors for the Community Mental Health Resource Fair for partners, neighbors, and community members. Attendees had the opportunity to engage with numerous behavioral health resources, offering support and information on mental well-being. Additionally, our IPS Supported Employment Team got connected with folks to help them find pathways to new careers.
A vaccine clinic was also available, ensuring that community members had easy access to essential immunizations. Participants were also treated to complimentary cosmetic services, including clean shaves and hair styling. To add to the day’s excitement, attendees received goodie bags filled with helpful materials and enjoyed a hot meal from A Little Taste of Culture. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all our BACS staff who attended and to the teams who supported this event. Want to come to our next event? Plan your visit at https://bayareacs.org/wellness-centers.
Introducing a New Way to Support Us: Donate Crypto, Stock, or DAFs Online
We’re thrilled to announce that BACS is accepting donations in cryptocurrency, stock, and Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) through our website!
Crypto can be volatile, with big gains. Donating crypto to a BACS can help you offset those gains, so you can save more during tax season while giving back to your community! Donating cryptocurrency is a non-taxable event, so you can deduct the appreciated amount (without paying capital gains tax!) from your taxes. This makes Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency donations one of the most tax efficient ways to invest in improving your neighborhood.
Your crypto donation today will help us do ‘whatever it takes’ to uplift individuals, families, and communities. Here’s how your donation can make a difference:
- 5 SOL = provide a month of comprehensive behavioral health services for 1 community member
- 1 ETH = prevent homelessness for 1 household
- 1 BTC = half of a down payment on a house to end homelessness for 5-6 people permanently
Join us to celebrating this exciting new venture in crypto philanthropy by making a donation today: https://bayareacs.org/donate-crypto/.
Opportunity Village Update
BACS’ Opportunity Village is a rapid-rehousing program that helps people transition from encampments and other un-sheltered living situations into permanent housing. While residents live with us, we stay focused on finding permanent housing while helping participants establish benefits, find employment, access mental and physical healthcare supports, and more. We first opened the site in May 2023, and have already served 117 people. 78% of those who have left the program went into permanent housing! 5% went into other programs better suited for their individual needs. 56% of residents who entered opportunity with no income have gotten help from our employment support and now have an income. We are proud of our team, the residents, and the many program partners and community volunteers that donate food and provide community support.
