Oakland Fund for Public Innovation

Department of Violence Prevention Partnership: Partnering with the City of Oakland's Department of Violence Prevention, OFPI is investing in strategies to address violence in high-risk neighborhoods: Family Matters: Engaging 80 at-risk OUSD families, this program offers six months of coaching and resources to protect against violence and foster classroom success. Town Nights: Organized from 2023 to 2025 during high-crime hours, Town Nights in Oakland build community cohesion through pro-social activities and reduce violence. They serve targeted OUSD students and families. Alongside these, a media campaign will be implemented to raise awareness about the effects of violence and promote non-violent community responses.

Cultural Strategists-in-Government Program (CSIG): OFPI partners with the City of Oakland's Cultural Affairs Division (CAD) to implement CSIG, an innovative program that embeds cultural strategists in government. This collaboration aims to demonstrate the value of merging cultural insights with governmental work to fulfill the city's equity aspirations. Since its inception, CSIG has deployed strategists to 11 different city entities, with the latest expansion ongoing through 2023. The program works by engaging city workers with cultural strategists from communities most affected by inequities, fostering new ways to achieve equity goals. The ultimate goal is full integration into the City's work, and its success has drawn attention from other municipalities.

Shallow Subsidy Pilot: The Oakland Shallow Subsidy Pilot, initiated in July 2021, offers up to $800 in monthly rent subsidies to 200 at-risk households in Oakland for 18 months, aiming to prevent displacement and homelessness. Managed by Bay Area Community Services (BACS) and evaluated by the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI), the program focuses on the city's most vulnerable residents, with an average rent burden of 115%. Part of a broader effort to drive policy changes at regional, state, and federal levels, the pilot aims to gather evidence to end the housing crisis, with final reports anticipated in winter 2024.