What is our big goal for the year that moves our 5-year vision forward?
Faith in Action East Bay’s Big Goal for 2024 is to build our organizational power and base so that by December 2024 we will have 30 active organizing teams moving our organizational agenda. We aim to expand our leadership and institutional base that organizes in the East Bay around the priorities of the housing crisis, economic equity, public safety, and a robust voter engagement strategy. Building and strengthening our organizational power enables us to achieve our five-year goal of the East Bay in which all have access to adequate housing, economic opportunity, and safe communities.
Where does our power currently come from?
~ Power comes from 31 congregations, 2 counties, 4 cities, 45 trained leaders, 190 members, and 21,000 families.
~ Strategic partnerships with multiple local nonprofits, and 3 progressive city council groups in Oakland, Richmond, and Antioch.
~ A prophetic vision drawn from the values of our faith, such as a commitment to establishing a moral economy and racial and economic equity for all. Fundamental values of our faith include the ideals that all belong and that every human being deserves to have a home that provides safety and care.
~ Partnership with 8 funding partnering organizations and 2 city governments.
~ A track record of policy and budget victories in the city of Oakland and Richmond.
~ Our faith partners bring the moral voice to the public square and to the creation of a narrative of abundance over scarcity.
Power Map/Power Analysis
~ In the East Bay there are powerful developers who impact the issue of housing.
~ City government and county supervisors influence housing development and are the primary source of local resources.
~ The tech industry and its need to house workers determine housing development.
~ The current budget of the City of Oakland is a deficit budget of 60 million dollars.
~ Budget deficits and decisions limit investments in social programs.
~ The lack of affordable housing for lower-income families is reshaping the demographics of the East Bay.
~ The lack of affordable housing for lower-income people, in addition to the fact that many families are having to extend over 60% of their available income to housing has led to the rise of homelessness.
~ Evictions are on the rise in both Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
~ Public safety is a major priority for residents in the East Bay.
~ After 10 years of consistent growth the City of Oakland has shrunk by 1.3% in 2022. There needs to be further analysis of which populations are affected to ensure that the black and brown residents who built the East Bay have access and opportunity to live and thrive.
Our Path Forward/Core Campaign Pillars
~ Engaging local city council members and county supervisors in shifting resources towards addressing the housing crisis, homelessness, public safety, and social services.
~ Holding cities and counties accountable for setting and meeting housing goals.
~ Challenging city council and county supervisors to allocate resources that address the needs of the people.
~ Ensuring the renewal of the Bond measure in the City of Oakland that funds public safety and violence reduction. The current bond measure sunsets in 2024.
~ Encouraging the City of Oakland to expand and extend its current Guaranteed Basic Income pilot.
~ Support local, county, and statewide legislation that provides for a guaranteed basic income.
~ Support local city and statewide legislation that protects renters from unreasonable increases in their rent and illegal evictions.
~ Actively engage in voter engagement to impact electoral politics at all levels.
~ Support the establishment of local rent caps and rent subsidies.
~ Support the implementation of SB567.
Therefore, Our Strategy
~ To grow our base of Grassroot leaders and members engaged in public life.
~ To provide transformational training opportunities for leadership development, power analysis, and strategic long-term organizing that will facilitate and incubate the internal revolution.
~ Expand the number of our organizing teams and institutions from 18 to 30 in 2024.
~ To encourage federation leaders to pursue further training by participating in PICO CA School of Faith and Power.
~ Develop a year-round voter engagement strategy that will develop new relationships with voters in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
~ Participate in the PICO CA statewide network in organizing around issues that align with our federation priorities.
~ Focus our organizing strategy on the following priorities: Affordable housing for lower-income families and homelessness, public safety (including crime and gun violence reduction, illegal dumping), economic inequity, and voter engagement.