Strategy in Action

The Oakland Community Land Trust (OakCLT) was established in 2010 with the aim of taking ownership of foreclosed homes to sell as permanently affordable homes to low- and moderate-income households. After tech companies migrated to the East Bay, contributing to the displacement of BIPOC-owned small businesses, the land trust began investing in commercial properties. In 2018, it acquired its first mixed-use building, Cafe Hasta Muerte, which houses four social justice-oriented storefronts and eight housing units. Using a crowdfunding campaign, residential and small business tenants raised $90,000 and received funds from the City of Oakland, the Northern California Community Loan Fund, and Community Arts Stabilization Trust. Since then, OakCLT has acquired another seven-unit commercial rental property, E24 Community Studios, which provides affordable live-work spaces for emerging and underground artists.