OCHI - News

From the Oakland Tribune, 4/27/03

Church cheers final touches of senior housing
17-unit complex expected to be fully occupied by end of May
By Chauncey Bailey
STAFF WRITER
OAKLAND -- For 20 years, the congregation at Downs Memorial United Methodist Church dreamed and talked about more housing for senior citizens. Church leaders noticed many of its members were aging and had too few housing options in Oakland.
Finally, four years ago, there were plans on a drawing board and members of the Downs Community Development Corporation -- comprised of dedicated church members -- started looking for revenues and strategies.

A year ago this month, crews broke ground on a housing development. At 1:30 p.m. May 4, church members will gather at 1027 60th St. -- site of a $3.5 million, 17-unit senior housing complex -- for its grand opening.

The new homes replaced an aging firehouse that was razed about 18 months ago. The Bishop Roy C. Nichols Senior Housing Complex is expected to be fully occupied by the end of May. The one-bedroom units will rent for $600 a month, some $400 less than similar apartments on the open market.

Downs joins other African-American churches that have been building senior housing for many years. In East Oakland, Allen Temple Baptist Church, under the leadership of Dr. Rev. J. Alfred Smith Sr. and Center of Hope, with Bishop Ernestine Reems, have set the pace for others.

"We looked at what Allen Temple had done," said Downs pastor, the Rev. Kelvin Sauls. "Many churches have the capacity to do this, but we needed to upgrade the methodology. We had to go beyond outreach to development."

Ruth Love, a church member at Downs and a former Oakland schools superintendent, stepped in to chair the development corporation's board.

"This is our first tangible project," Love said. "And it reflects our outreach effort. The board's mission is to impact the economic, social and educational standing of the community, and with dignity. I'm sure the late Bishop Nichols is smiling down on this."

Despite a citywide need for senior housing, the project generated some controversy.

In February 2000, some residents complained to city officials that a proposed three-story, 20-unit development would be too big and too close to the sidewalk.

Some residents said during a November 1999 community meeting they were unhappy plans only called for 15 units.

Adjustments were made.

"We wanted something to blend into the community, to enhance the community," said Sauls last week. "And we wanted to serve this community."

The new development is the result of a partnership between Oakland Community Housing Inc. and the Downs Community Development Corporation -- a spinoff from Downs Memorial United Methodist Church.

Financing for the new development came from the city of Oakland and its Community and Economic Development Agency, US Bank, Bank of America, Citibank, Far East National Bank and Federal Home Loan Bank.

Bringing more subsidized housing to Oakland remains challenging despite the need, said Dwight Dickerson, executive director of Oakland Community Housing Inc.

"Construction started last spring. There's a tremendous need in Oakland," Dickerson said. "I would estimate that only one in five seniors has the housing they need.

"The problem is many private developers are not going to get involved because the profit margin is too thin and they just want to build, sell and get on to the next project and not have to deal with services. But we offer services."

Tenants will have access to a computer center and training, and other social services such as meals-on-wheels, he said.

Dickerson said he also wishes city officials would be more supportive in terms of financing senior housing "but times are tough."