Since its founding in 1967, The Unity Council has grown into one of Oakland’s most trusted institutions, serving the community through early childhood education, youth development, employment services, senior services, and affordable housing.
About the Unity Council
The Unity Council’s mission is to understand the needs of the Fruitvale community in Oakland, build affordable housing and community spaces from that understanding, and help long-time residents continue to live, work, and thrive in their neighborhood.
Founded in 1967 as The Spanish Speaking Unity Council of Alameda County, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, The Unity Council has grown into one of Oakland’s most trusted institutions, serving the community through early childhood education, youth development, employment services, senior services, and affordable housing.
The Unity Council’s entry into real estate came with the Fruitvale Transit Village in 2004, next to the BART station, combining affordable housing with retail, offices, and gathering spaces as a model for community-centered development. When it first began pursuing real estate work, The Unity Council had no dedicated real estate staff and outsourced the work to consultants; today its real estate department has grown to six staff members, led by Vice President of Real Estate Development Aubra Levine.
The Unity Council serves as an owner, developer, and property manager at its various developments. The organization’s residential development portfolio has now grown to include affordable and market-rate housing for families, seniors, and special needs households. It has also developed more than 250,000 square feet of commercial, retail, civic, and other facilities that serve the surrounding community. The Unity Council also manages about 400 affordable and market-rate apartments across 10 developments.
The Unity Council partnered with Bridge Housing to build Casa Sueños, 181 homes of affordable family housing that includes 46 apartments for individuals who were formerly homeless in Fruitvale Village. (The Unity Council, 2023)
Capital for Capacity’s Impact
Housing Trust’s Capital for Capacity grant program provides community-based developers up to $50,000 to strengthen internal systems, unlock additional capital, and expand their impact. For the Unity Council, the grant helps the organization respond to one of the biggest challenges facing community-based developers: growing the internal capacity to take on larger projects.
The grant is currently helping fund a Business Development Manager position within the real estate team. The role serves a dual purpose: supporting development projects while also helping standardize internal processes so the department can operate more efficiently. For Levine, the additional capacity makes a real difference.
“This frees up my time to do what I should be doing, which is developing strategic partnerships, going after new forms of capital, and developing relationships instead of having to jump in on project management,” said Levine.
The Unity Council’s Executive Director, Chris Iglesias (left), and Housing Trust’s Loan Officer II, Cassandra Kauwling (right), break ground on 2700 International, an affordable housing community with 75 homes for families and formerly homeless veterans.
Building What’s Next
Strengthening the organization’s internal capacity ultimately allows The Unity Council to do more of what it has always done best: engage directly with the community. That engagement can take time, but the organization believes it is essential to building projects that truly reflect the needs of residents.
As some developers leave Oakland, new opportunities are emerging to turn vacant properties into affordable housing. The Unity Council’s relationships and local knowledge position it to step in, and the Capital for Capacity grants gives it the continued access to capital and capacity to do that work.
To learn more about Housing Trust’s Capital for Capacity Program, visit https://housingtrustsv.org/housing-trust-launches-capital-for-capacity-grant-program/.
