Client spotlight: ArtEsteem Oakland

I worked with Amana as a consultant on this project and remain a member of the organization's advisory board.

“For me, it is fundamental for AHC to remain in Oakland and continue the vision of my parents. Given the destructive history of urban redevelopment through the practices of redlining, marginalization and oppression, the work to repair the harm that has been done needs to be an essential priority in rebuilding our communities. Building the Center for ArtEsteem creates a bright path like the Sankofa bird Adinkra symbol that cleanses our past as we build a benevolent future.”    

– Amana Harris, Executive Director of Center for ArtEsteem

The Center for ArtEsteem, a division of AHC Oakland, is a Black-led, community-based nonprofit that empowers individuals to be self-aware and inspired through art, creativity and education. They help equip people to make positive choices to break the cycle of violence for themselves and their communities. 

 Since 1989, the organization has provided integrated arts education, racial healing circles, leadership training, public art installation and workforce development in Oakland and the larger Bay Area. They have served dozens of at-risk schools and surrounding communities, reaching thousands of children, youth and families. 

To ensure their ongoing presence in support of the local community, the nonprofit is in the process of acquiring and transforming 5,000 square feet of land and property in West Oakland. Their plan is to build a new Center for ArtEsteem, a community asset that will include new studio, exhibition and community event spaces. 

Community Vision is honored to have partnered with The Center for ArtEsteem to provide real estate and financial management consults for this project as well as a $150,000 loan through our Bay Area Racial Equity Fund (BayREF)program. 

 

CalCORE 3

 Community development groups from across the state gathered in Fresno, California from February 21-23 for our latest CalCORE convening. An initiative developed by Community Vision and Genesis LA, CalCORE works to advance locally owned and controlled real estate through virtual and in-person educational sessions, along with one-on-one project support, for developers of color deeply rooted in their communities.

The three-day event in Fresno marked the final gathering for CalCORE’s third cohort of emergent community-based real estate entities. CalCORE III focuses on acquiring and operating naturally occurring small-site housing developments, as well as preparation for the state-run Foreclosure Intervention Housing Preservation Program.

With a strong emphasis on collaboration, the convening’s activities ranged from workshops and participant share-outs to networking sessions and site tours. Through these opportunities for peer mentoring and mutual learning, participant organizations shared their wins, challenges and knowledge gained through their various projects and areas of focus—from tiny home clusters in Fresno to preliminary work around environmental resilience concepts in Los Angeles.

Another highlight was the tour of multiple affordable housing projects spearheaded by current and former CalCORE participants Lowell Community Development Corporation, Southwest Fresno Development Corporation and South Tower Community Land Trust. These visits provided invaluable insights and inspiration, showcasing tangible examples of community-driven development in action.

We want to extend a special thank you to Vision View, a Community Vision client, for serving as the main venue for the event. Founded by Laneesha Senegal, Vision View has evolved into one of the largest and most comprehensive entrepreneurship centers in the Central Valley. By holding the event in this space, the convening directly supported over seven BIPOC-led small businesses, aligning with CalCORE’s commitment to community empowerment.

 Finally, we offer our gratitude to all the participants, partners and presenters for their time, energy and engagement. Thank you also to CalCORE’s sponsors, Northern California Grantmakers, The California Endowment, The James Irvine Foundation and JPMorgan Chase for helping to make this program possible. 

 

Learn more about CalCORE III participants:

• East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative (EBPREC) – Oakland
• East Palo Alto Community Alliance Neighborhood Development Organization (EPACANDO) – East Palo Alto
• Eastwest Community Services – Oakland
• Logan Heights Community Development Corporation – San Diego
• Lowell Community Development Corporation – Fresno
• Mammoth Lakes Housing – Mammoth Lakes
• Neighborhood Housing Services of the Inland Empire – San Bernardino and Riverside Counties
• Neighborworks Sacramento – Sacramento
• Pacoima Beautiful – Los Angeles
• Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services — Richmond

CalCORE 2 + 3

In June 2022 Community Vision and Genesis LA held a three-day convening for our California Community-Owned Real Estate (CalCORE) program. 🎉

Twenty-one nonprofit organizations from across California joined us in LA for mutual learning and networking opportunities, a full day of training and speakers on community development and financing at Art Share L.A. and more. We also had the chance to tour local developments, including Little Tokyo Service Center, Latinx with Plants, Las Fotos Project and Inclusive Action for the City.

Thank you to all of our partners supporting this program and to everyone who participated and presented at the convening! Congratulations to our CalCORE 2 participants on their journey in advancing hashtag#CommunityOwnership of community assets. Our newest cohort, CalCORE 3, will focus on small site affordable housing preservation and preparation for the state-run Foreclosure Intervention Housing Preservation Program (FIHPP).

Read more highlights from the convening: https://lnkd.in/gKDtGCDJ

Image # 1: Group photo of CalCORE participants and Community Vision and Genesis LA staff

Small Business Anti-displacement Network Conference

 In November 2023, I presented on a panel for the Small Business Anti-displacement Network Conference in Maryland.

I co presented with Community Vision's president, Catherine Howard on the panel: “The Missing $326 Billion: Building Opportunity by Regaining Land Control.” We were joined by Rudy Espinoza from Inclusive Action for the City and Bibiana Stevens from City First Enterprises. 

We cannot talk about wealth- and power-building opportunities for BIPOC-owned businesses without talking about land loss and its antidote — land control. For example, between 1920 and 1997 the compounded value of Black agricultural land loss is estimated to be $326 billion. 

The panelists discussed how their organizations define land control, report on innovative models of land control they are seeing in their regions, and walk through some of the most promising financing strategies for achieving land control.

2024 West Coast Urban District Forum

 In March 2023, I co-presented on a panel with Justin Smith, MBA, Assoc. DBIA, LEED AP of Relequity, and Elliot Batch of the Downtown Fresno Partnership about democratizing and accelerating infill housing and other urban development at the 2024 West Coast Urban District Forum. 

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Housing Panel at NPH

In October 2022, I participated on a panel for the Nonprofit Housing conference in San Francisco.

The Commercial Spaces in Affordable Housing Communities: A Tool for Expanding Equity and Cultural Placemaking workshop will feature case studies, tools, and resources for how developers can further support residents and communities by providing high-quality commercial spaces at below-market rates to

local nonprofits and BIPOC enterprises that serve the community. We will explore case studies along a spectrum—from early feasibility to operational—to discuss how affordable housing developers can effectively partner with these community serving nonprofits and businesses. The workshop will highlight a specific development—Maudelle Miller Shirek and the Healthy Black Families partnership with RCD. We will discuss lessons learned in the planning, financing, and design processes, opportunities for capacity building and technical assistance for these smaller organizations, and the benefits of co-locating for affordable housing residents, the neighborhood, and the long-term stability of these important community organizations. The workshop will feature multiple perspectives—the project manager (developer), community organization (tenant), and project partners (technical assistance provider)—so that attendees will leave inspired and with ideas for how to develop mixed-use buildings that go beyond providing housing to strengthening communities.

WRITING: Blog Post for Community Vision

 

Ask a Community Vision Consultant is back and we’re here to answer your questions.

This month’s question: Given the pandemic, how can I safely offer my programs in outdoor spaces?

The answer: Several of our clients are operating at limited capacity or in a different capacity than previously, due to health and safety parameters around COVID-19. The safety concerns and ensuring people’s well-being has prompted organizations to pivot operations and to find creative ways to host pop-up events, small business marketplaces, and cultural performances.

For example the School of Arts & Culture in San Jose transformed their annual Dia de Los Muertos community celebration into a free drive through altar exhibit, Avenida de Alteras. From the safety of their vehicles, families were still able to uphold cultural traditions and enjoy live music, an art gallery, and altars that were created by local artists. In East Oakland, the Black Cultural Zone, launched the AKOMA Outdoor Market in early September. Located at Liberation Park, the market is a space where people enjoy food from local chefs, home cooks, and farmers, purchase crafts and goods from small businesses, dance to local DJs, and connect with their community in a COVID-friendly setting. The Community Arts Stabilization Trust recently launched Dreaming Spaces in Oakland. This charrette-style design process centers artists, cultural workers, creatives, and local residents in the “dreaming” process to design cultural spaces that improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods.

While outdoor activities are generally safe (when there is enough space to allow for at least six feet of distance between folks) and allowed during shelter-in-place, It can still be challenging to figure out where to start. Community Vision has tools that can support your organization in safely offering outdoor programs and services.

Many of the tools we share with our clients (available for free at this link) will help you think through space needs; albeit outside and within specific public health guidelines.

Here are some tips and tools we’ve shared with clients:

First, we recommend that you contact your County public health department early on for guidelines around hosting outdoor events safely and check with your local city jurisdiction to learn if specific permits are required for the type of program you want to hold.

Requirements and safety measures for hosting gatherings and programs outside will vary depending on the county and town you are in. We recommend you visit California’s COVID-19 industry guidance webpage to learn about regulations and suggestions to minimize risk, as well as to be aware of the ‘tier status’ of your county to know what type of restrictions may be in place. Outdoor markets and gatherings that follow requirements for wearing masks and physical distancing should not be as impacted by the varying level of tiers, given the activities take place in an open-air space.

Second, you want to be clear on specific program elements:

• What type of event will be held?
• How often will the event take place?
• How much space will be required to host my program and keep participants and staff safe?
• How will you identify the right space?
• What permits are required to utilize that space?

One tool that can help answer the above questions is our Space Calculator. With this tool, you can enter the types of space configurations (tables, tents, etc) and their dimensions to figure out how much total space your program needs. Our budget templates, such as the Sources & Uses template or our Budget & Cash Flow template, allow for running scenarios to identify start up and ongoing expenses and are complementary to the Space Calculator.

We understand the importance of continuing programs and services, especially during these challenging times. If you would like some space or financial management-related advice for your organization, please sign-up for a free 45 minute call with one of our consultants at this link.

 

Link to blog post: https://communityvisionca.org/askaconsultantfall2020/