[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 15, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E231-E232]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING OAKLAND COMMUNITY HOUSING, INC.

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 15, 2005

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the outstanding work of 
Oakland Community Housing, Inc. For the past 30 years, OCHI has 
provided a truly invaluable service to the community by producing and 
managing quality affordable housing throughout the East Bay.

[[Page E232]]

  OCHI came into existence in 1974, when the construction of Oakland's 
City Center resulted in the demolition of 12 square blocks in the 
downtown district. When grassroots organizations, including the Black 
Panther Party, the Oakland Citizens' Committee for Urban Renewal, and 
the Oakland Legislative Council for Seniors successfully sued the city 
for the replacement of the over 300 lost units, OCHI received the grant 
for that rebuilding project. That project was the first step in a 
journey which has enriched countless lives over the past 30 years.
  Since the completion of that first project, Eldridge Gonaway Commons, 
in 1982, OCHI's construction on new projects has been continuous. In 
working to meet the rental and homeownership needs of low-income 
families, single adults, the formerly homeless, persons with substance 
abuse issues, mentally challenged adults, and seniors, OCHI has 
successfully completed over 1,000 units of affordable housing units on 
18 properties. In addition to developing properties in a variety of 
ways to meet the diverse needs of the populations it serves, OCHI has 
also developed some of its properties in partnership with less 
experienced community housing developers as an investment in community 
capacity building. Indeed, when OCHI undertakes to construct or 
renovate a property, it not only builds a home for its future 
residents, but creates a new beginning that changes entire 
neighborhoods for the better.
  OCHI recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, and I would like to 
take this opportunity to recognize its incredibly important work. With 
quality affordable housing so scarce in the Bay Area, OCHI has provided 
an invaluable resource to the communities it has served. I salute OCHI 
for its dedication to meeting the housing needs of low-income 
homeowners and renters in dozens of communities over the past 30 years, 
and for the profound and lasting impact its tireless work has had on 
countless lives.

                          ____________________