Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS)

06/01/2026

Housing Is the Beginning, Meet Victoria:

"I came to BOSS in need of emergency shelter and help finding permanent housing. I was relieved to be in the shelter. The Harrison House staff were amazing, especially Rochelle, who got me housed. Having my own place means the world to me! I'm looking forward to being at peace, secure, and safe. For anyone on their housing journey at BOSS, work for what you want, and get everything the program has to offer. I am truly thankful! I don't know where I would be without Harrison House." Victoria

When someone receives keys to a new home, that's not the end of the story. It's the beginning of rebuilding routines, restoring confidence, reconnecting with family, finding employment, and creating stability that lasts.

Every week at BOSS, individuals and families move one step closer to the future they deserve. Housing opens the door. Community helps people walk through it.

💚 Help create more housing success stories across Alameda County.

Join the Work - self-sufficiency.org/donate

05/25/2026

Join us for The Barbara Lee Lecture Series

BOSS is proud to help share this powerful community event alongside local partners and leaders.

On Saturday, May 30 at 7:00 PM, community members are invited to gather at Beebe Memorial Cathedral for an evening with Mayor Barbara Lee, Pastor Tony Lowden, and The Honorable Willie L. Brown Jr.

Pastor Lowden is a national leader in restorative justice, criminal justice reform, and the work of supporting formerly adjudicated individuals as they return to community, leadership, and opportunity. As the first and only Black pastor to a U.S. President, serving President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter, his voice brings deep experience, faith, justice, and action into this timely conversation.

Together, the speakers will reflect on Dr. King’s enduring question:

“Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?”

This conversation speaks directly to the work of restoration, reentry, community power, and shared responsibility.

Saturday, May 30, 2026
7:00 PM
Beebe Memorial Cathedral
3900 Telegraph Ave, Oakland

Admission is free. RSVP required:
https://bit.ly/4tIPhLq

Or call 510-434-3988.

05/18/2026

Exciting News! New Affordable Housing Opportunities Available In Alameda County!

New affordable housing options are available throughout Alameda County, including in San Leandro and Castro Valley. Be sure to review the application requirements and note the deadlines.

Don't wait! Apply online now to secure your spot.

More housing means more opportunities for everyone. However, remember that while this is a step forward, much more needs to be done to meet the demand for affordable housing.

For more information and other listings in more counties: https://housingbayarea.mtc.ca.gov/listings

05/15/2026

Mark Your Calendars

FREE FAMILY-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY BLOCK PARTYAT DEFREMERY PARK MAY 27th 11-3 PM

📅 May 27 | Oakland
🕐 11–3 PM | Free & open to the community
Check out the events page in the bio.

We’re inviting organizations, practitioners, and community leaders who support:

• Mental health & wellness
• Healing-centered practices
• Youth and family support
• Housing, reentry, and workforce services
• Financial literacy & stability
• Culturally rooted care

If your work helps people stabilize, heal, or move forward — there’s a place for you here.

These block parties are about access, visibility, and connection. Real resources. Real conversations. Real community.

Music. Food. Wellness screenings. Joy.

05/03/2026

What happens when homelessness funding is reduced?

A recent report highlights that California mayors — including Oakland’s leadership — are calling for sustained investment in homelessness programs like HHAP.

Why it matters:
A proposed 50% reduction in funding could mean:
• Thousands of shelter beds lost
• Tens of thousands of people at risk of returning to homelessness
• Slowed progress across cities working to reduce unsheltered homelessness

Even with recent decreases in unsheltered homelessness, disparities remain — especially in Black communities, where rates continue to be disproportionately high.

At BOSS, we see how funding connects directly to outcomes.
Housing stability.
Access to services.

Long-term support that prevents people from cycling back into homelessness.
This is the work — and it requires consistent investment.

Read more about what’s at stake:
🔗 https://oaklandvoices.us/2026/04/28/california-mayors-barbara-lee-urge-homelessness-funding/

California mayors urge restoring homelessness funding, warning cuts threaten shelter access and racial equity progress.

05/01/2026

SURVIVORS SPEAK - MAY 5th

Survivors Speak is a statewide day of action on May 5th that centers the voices and experiences of people impacted by crime and harm. Community members, advocates, and service providers come together to share stories, support healing, and uplift approaches rooted in care and prevention.

BOSS stands alongside survivors and community partners in this work.

LEARN MORE AND JOIN US: https://crimesurvivorsspeak.org/

04/30/2026

RENTAL SPACE AVAILABLE AT BOSS

Host your next meeting, training, or community event with BOSS. We offer conference rooms, office, and warehouse space for community partners, organizations, and individuals.

Available spaces include office suites and a 1,864 sq. ft. warehouse with open workspace, private offices, and a reception area.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT: https://www.self-sufficiency.org/rent-space,

04/30/2026

Calling Community Healers, Practitioners & Resource Partners

Mental Wealth Block Parties are back.

We’re bringing mental health out of clinics and into the streets — and we’re looking for partners who do this work every day.

📅 May 13 | Hayward
📅 May 27 | Oakland
🕐 11–3 PM | Free & open to the community

We’re inviting organizations, practitioners, and community leaders who support:

• Mental health & wellness
• Healing-centered practices
• Youth and family support
• Housing, reentry, and workforce services
• Financial literacy & stability
• Culturally rooted care

If your work helps people stabilize, heal, or move forward — there’s a place for you here.

These block parties are about access, visibility, and connection. Real resources. Real conversations. Real community.

Music. Food. Wellness screenings. Joy.

You don’t need a clinic on this day to support mental health — you need community.

👉 Sign up to table or partner:
Hayward - https://forms.wix.com/r/7177133419460035132
Oakland - https://forms.wix.com/r/7178587565140738956

04/28/2026

Exciting News! New Affordable Housing Opportunities Available In Alameda County!

New affordable housing options are available throughout Alameda County, including in San Leandro and Castro Valley. Be sure to review the application requirements and note the deadlines.

Don't wait! Apply online now to secure your spot.

More housing means more opportunities for everyone. However, remember that while this is a step forward, much more needs to be done to meet the demand for affordable housing.

Let's keep pushing for change!

For more information and other listings in more counties: https://housingbayarea.mtc.ca.gov/listings

04/27/2026

Every Kid Healthy Week at Harrison House 💛

Last week at USV (Harrison House), we spent the day focused on what it means for kids to stay active, curious, and supported.

Crafts.
Sports — basketball, football, frisbee.
Science activities.

The day ended with rocket experiments — and a lot of excitement watching them take off.

Kids were also served fresh fruit, nuts, and juices throughout the day, keeping energy up and bodies moving.

Moments like this matter. When children have safe space to play, learn, and explore, it supports their health in ways that last beyond one day.

Thank you to the staff and community who made it possible.

If you want to support more programming like this at BOSS housing sites — for kids and families building stability — we invite you to be part of it.

🌐 www.self-sufficiency.org/donate