For Immediate Release
New Poll: Oakland Residents Troubled by Housing Crisis
Want Elected Officials to Bring More Housing Developments to the City
October 13, 2017 – New polling results released today indicate that Oakland residents are deeply concerned about the growing housing crisis in the City and broadly support new projects.
According to the poll sponsored by the Consumer Alliance for a Strong Economy (CASE), and conducted by San Francisco-based Probolosky Research, alarm over Oakland’s housing shortages and homelessness is high among all demographic groups including by age, gender and City Council District.
Results leave no doubt that voters want the City Council to focus on bringing more housing, including affordable options, to the City. In fact, many voters say there is not enough new development in Oakland, and that the City is headed in the wrong direction.
When asked about proposed developments such as SunCal’s Oak Knoll project on the former Naval Hospital campus, 80% of respondents said they would support the project knowing that approximately 5,000 jobs would be created—including employment for LiUNA Local 304 members, a union who has a project labor agreement with SunCal. These trends were similar across demographics—illustrating how important jobs and union support are to most Oakland residents.
Respondents were similarly supportive of new housing projects if developers provided funds to support affordable housing in Oakland. For example, with the Oak Knoll project, SunCal’s commitment of $20 million solicited broad support across all City Council Districts; many voters were previously unaware of this scale of the funding for affordable housing the project would bring.
According to Adam Probolsky, who’s firm conducted the poll, “Given the severity of Oakland’s housing crisis, I was not surprised by how many people expressed their frustration with the current pace of development. Voters want action now brining new jobs, community investment, affordable housing dollars and much-needed shopping in places like East Oakland.”
Probolosky added, “These polling results send one very powerful message: Residents want the City Council and others to take real action and get houses built before this crisis gets any worse.”
About CASE: Formed in 2002, CASE is a California-based, non-partisan organization which seeks to educate and inform people about public policy issues that impact their businesses, their lives and their future. CASE’s over 10,000 members include entrepreneurs, small business owners, farmers and consumers throughout the state.