Oakland’s community-based organizations (CBOs) are the backbone of the city’s most critical safety net services—providing food, housing support, job training, mental health, youth programs, and violence intervention efforts. Yet, on February 18, 2025, these organizations found themselves rallying at Fruitvale Village, not just for the communities they serve, but for their own survival. Facing $2.6 million in budget cuts, CBOs warned that the slashes to funding would not only jeopardize essential services but deepen the crises of homelessness, public safety, and economic instability in Oakland.
The Critical Need for Resources
The numbers paint a stark picture. According to East Bay Times, the proposed budget cuts will impact programs that serve thousands of low-income families, seniors, and youth.
Services on the chopping block include:
Shelter and Housing Assistance: Programs helping unhoused individuals transition into stable housing.
Violence Prevention and Community Safety: Initiatives aimed at reducing gun violence and supporting intervention specialists.
Youth Programs and Workforce Development: Essential job training and educational programs that help break cycles of poverty.
Oakland already faces an unprecedented homelessness crisis, with over 5,000 people living without stable shelter. Cutting funding to housing programs and workforce development only worsens the issue. "We talk about public safety, but how safe is a city where people have nowhere to sleep, no job opportunities, and no resources to heal?" said one community leader at the rally.
We police our own neighborhoods, we protect our own people, and we work every day to reroute young people before they get recruited into a cycle we’ve vowed to break. We did what we were supposed to do—now, what are you going to do? If you cut these funds, you are signing these kids up to be pulled back into the very thing we’re fighting to change. Do what’s right by your people, so we can continue to do what’s right by our community. – De'Morea "Truck" Evans, Adamika Village | Credible Messenger
The Power of Collective Action
Oakland’s CBOs aren’t standing down. The press conference gathered voices from grassroots leaders, nonprofit executives, and impacted residents who rely on these programs for survival. The message was clear—Oakland’s budget must reflect the needs of its people, not the politics of austerity.
The rally was covered across multiple media platforms, including KGO, KRON4, KTVU, and KQED, amplifying the call to action. "We create opportunities for children to learn and have fun when they’re on school breaks like we have a spring break getting ready to come up,” said Evans, adding that these cuts will make it difficult to put things in place for children to be safe in those idle times.
The Role of BOSS: A Lifeline for Oakland’s Most Vulnerable
BOSS serves as the backbone organization that coordinates the work of seven sub-grantee organizations across three strategies (Gun and Gang Violence, Gender Based Violence, and Community Healing and Restoration) to create collective impact by providing services, (violence interruption, restorative community healing, therapeutic supports, restorative justice, transitional housing, employment and neighborhood and community teams, outreach, engagement, and navigation services) for community members throughout Oakland in neighborhoods most impacted by violence, with a focus in the East and West Oakland.
Three of the grassroots organizations will be impacted by $270,000 with mid-year cuts (Khadafy Washington Foundation, Adamika Village, and Hoover Foster Resident Action Council). They are funded under the Neighborhood and Community Teams contract to lead outreach and promotion of community events and activities designed to restore, strengthen, and beautify the neighborhood while connecting people to DVP network services and other community resources. NACTs will engage residents in violence reduction efforts, including community support after a shooting or homicide by bridging the relationships between community and Violence Interrupters.
Adamika Village, Khadafy Washington Foundation and Hoover Foster RAC have been at the forefront of Oakland’s violence prevention efforts, standing in the gap for communities impacted by systemic disinvestment. Their grassroots approaches to crisis response, street intervention, and community healing have been essential in reducing violence and supporting families affected by trauma.
We are not just reacting to violence—we are working every day to prevent it before it happens. When the city cuts funding, they’re cutting lives short. – Rhashad "Country" Norton, Adamika Village | Credible Messenger
Public safety concerns economic stability, housing security, and access to resources that give people a fighting chance. As we stand alongside our fellow CBOs, we reaffirm our commitment to dismantling systemic inequities and building a future where every Oakland resident has the opportunity to thrive.
Oakland deserves better. And together, we can make it happen.
The fight for equitable funding is far from over. Here’s how you can take action today:
Support frontline violence intervention work today: Every dollar keeps trusted mediators in the streets, stopping harm before it starts. Donate here.
Contact Your Elected Officials: Demand that Oakland’s city leaders prioritize funding for housing, public safety, and economic empowerment programs.
Donate to Organizations Fighting for Change: Every dollar helps BOSS and other CBOs continue their critical work amid uncertainty. Donate here.
Show Up & Speak Out: Attend city council meetings, rallies, and advocacy efforts to keep the pressure on.
Stay Informed & Spread Awareness: Share this story, engage in conversations, and ensure that Oakland’s budget reflects the needs of its people.
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Bay City News (via KRON) “Oakland City Budget Cuts Causing Crisis for Community Service Providers”
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