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Record of Proceedings

Social Services and Human Relations Board Meeting – September 28, 2026: Rise Up Alameda Final Report and Dignity Village Update

City Council — Monday, September 28, 2026
BodyAlameda, California
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, September 28, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:41:04

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

2:59

Yesterday I got stung by a bee.

Speaker 2

3:21

Ready when you are.

3:25

Good evening and welcome to the September meeting of the Social Services and Human Relations Board.

3:30

My name's Gerald Bryant, and this is my first meeting serving as a president of the Social Services and Human Relations Board.

3:38

Thank you to my fellow board members for your confidence and thank you to Samantha for leading us as acting president for the July meeting.

3:48

A few housekeeping rules before we begin.gov.

4:44

Comments received before the end of the public comment section will be read into the record.

4:49

In person

Speaker 3

4:50

for all those who are here in

Speaker 2

4:52

person, please fill out a public comment slip.

Unassigned speaker

5:00

Public comments are limited to three minutes.

Speaker 2

5:02

Exits are located

Speaker 3

5:04

there

Speaker 2

5:05

and there.

5:07

Non-agenda public comments.

5:09

You may speak on any subject within the board's jurisdiction that's not on tonight's agenda.

5:14

Under each agenda item, we will take public comment on that specific item.

5:19

On Zoom, use the raise hand feature, and Secretary Mana Ayong will call on you to unmute.

Unassigned speaker

5:26

If

Speaker 2

5:26

you joined by phone, dial star nine and raise your hand.

Unassigned speaker

5:29

You

Speaker 2

5:29

can also email again a comment to G M A N A HYON at Alameda C A.gov.

5:42

Include your name and the agenda item number.

5:46

Comments will be resolved by the end of the public comment section and be read into direct.

Speaker 3

5:51

All right.

Speaker 2

5:52

I think I got most of that down, right?

5:54

Uh while while we are conducting business of the city of Alameda tonight, let's agree to listen respectfully to each

Unassigned speaker

6:02

other.

Speaker 2

6:02

And public speaking can be stressful, and we know it is, so we don't want anyone to feel intimidated.

6:10

Shrub meetings are a safe space to share.

6:15

And uh please also be aware that disrupting a public meeting is a violation of California Penal

Unassigned speaker

6:20

Code.

Speaker 3

6:22

Uh

Unassigned speaker

6:23

see

Speaker 3

6:23

if I got anything else on here I

Speaker 2

6:24

should be reading.

6:26

Uh, okay.

6:28

With that said,

Unassigned speaker

6:31

I

Speaker 2

6:31

would like to call to order the meeting now at 7.04 p.m.

6:39

All right.

6:40

We'll start with roll call.

6:43

Um quorum.

6:45

I can just say when I call your name,

Speaker 3

6:50

uh

Speaker 2

6:50

raise your hand.

Unassigned speaker

6:52

Let's see

Speaker 2

6:52

if I've got all the names written down there, right?

6:54

Right.

7:01

Um written down there, right?

7:08

Thank you.

7:10

Ah, the other side of the next fine.

7:14

Ah, all right, thank you.

7:15

Uh the ones I missed.

Unassigned speaker

7:17

Uh

Speaker 2

7:17

Seantel Carter.

Speaker 4

7:19

Present.

Unassigned speaker

7:20

Uh

Speaker 2

7:20

Bernie Wolf.

7:21

Here.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Homelessness█████████████████████21%
Community Engagement████████████████████20%
Procedural███████████████15%
Economic Development███████████11%
Community Needs Assessment█████5%
Public Comment████4%
Food Bank████4%
Public Engagement███3%
Public Housing███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Social Services and Human Relations Board Meeting – September 28, 2026: Rise Up Alameda Final Report and Dignity Village Update

The Social Services and Human Relations Board convened on Monday, September 28, 2026, at 7:04 PM. The meeting featured the final report of the Rise Up Alameda Guaranteed Income Pilot Program, approval of the Fiscal Year 2026-27 work plan, work group updates, and an update on Dignity Village’s funding sustainability. No public comments were received on any agenda item.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes Approval: The board unanimously approved the minutes from the previous meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were made on any agenda item.

Discussion Items

4A – Rise Up Alameda Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Final Report

  • Background: The city allocated $4.6 million in ARPA funds to launch a two-year guaranteed income pilot providing $1,000/month to 150 low-income Alameda households. Of 2,368 applicants, participants were randomly selected and had an average household income of ~$32,000/year (well below the 50% AMI threshold of $51,800). 26% of participants were aged 62 or older.
  • Key Findings (24-month report, compared to a control group):
    • 35% of participants had over $500 in savings vs. 12% of the control group.
    • 16% of participants went into debt vs. 27% of the control group.
    • Participants reported lower psychological distress and perceived stress at both 12 and 24 months.
    • No significant reductions in overall work engagement; some participants shifted to part-time work for greater flexibility.
    • Mixed findings on community engagement, housing, and food security (no statistically significant improvements).
    • Participants were less likely to use certain public benefits (SSI, SNAP, WIC, SSDI), though staff noted potential reasons including not wanting to over-utilize programs.
  • Next Steps: Participant profiles and a 10-minute short film are available at RiseUpAlameda.org. A celebration event, “Guaranteed Income Works,” is scheduled for Tuesday, October 13, 2026, featuring former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs.
  • Board Discussion: Members expressed strong support for the program, emphasizing its role in dispelling poverty narratives and the importance of participant stories. Questions about funding a second phase (no current plans), longitudinal data tracking (concluded with this report), and geographic concentration of participants (data not available due to IRB restrictions) were addressed.

4B – Shrub Board Fiscal Year 2026-27 Work Plan Review and Approval

  • Staff and board members presented the draft work plan, which includes goals for community needs assessment (community circle meetings, service provider survey, brief report), the Belonging at Home committee (public awareness campaigns, United Against Hate Week activities, CARES team attendance, HHS strategic plan review), and the Domestic Violence Task Force (biannual meetings, awareness month events, resource creation).
  • A motion to approve the work plan with an amendment to update the language from “city’s plan to end homelessness” to “HHS strategic plan” passed unanimously.

4C – Work Group Report Outs

  • Domestic Violence Task Force: Next meeting scheduled for October 5–6, 2026, to focus on work plan development and engagement during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
  • Belonging at Home: No new report; work plan focus noted.
  • United Against Hate: A presentation on online hate and bullying is being arranged for the next board meeting due to insufficient time for a full United Against Hate Week program. Posters will be distributed citywide.

4D – Dignity Village Funding Status and Long-Term Sustainability

  • Funding Outlook: Dignity Village, developed with a Home Key state grant (55-year deed restriction) and COVID relief funds, currently has $1.2 million from the general fund and other sources, projected to sustain operations through FY 2027-28 (June 30, 2028). Staff sent a memo to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors requesting Measure W funding, as the site is not currently in the county’s portfolio.
  • Long-Term Options: Staff are exploring transitioning the site to permanent supportive housing (with Home Key verbal approval) or purchasing a hotel to create a mixed-model shelter. A recommendation to city council is expected by December 2026.
  • Board Discussion: Concerns about operations were raised, including reports of racism and resident issues. Staff offered to connect board members with the resident advisory board and encouraged reporting of concerns. The board expressed interest in sending a supportive memo to Supervisor Tam to help secure county funding.

Key Outcomes

  • Minutes approved unanimously.
  • FY 2026-27 work plan approved with the HHS strategic plan amendment (unanimous).
  • Next Steps for Dignity Village: City council to receive a recommendation by year-end 2026; board to consider sending a memo to the county supervisor.
  • Upcoming Events:
    • “Guaranteed Income Works” celebration on October 13, 2026.
    • Free community film screening of Beyond the Bridge on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 5:30 PM, co-hosted by Board President Gerald Bryant.
    • Alameda Pride on October 10, 2026.
    • Proposed Black community meetup on December 1, 2026.
  • Next Regular Meeting: Scheduled for October 27, 2026 (fourth Thursday of October).

Meeting Transcript

Yesterday I got stung by a bee. Ready when you are. Good evening and welcome to the September meeting of the Social Services and Human Relations Board. My name's Gerald Bryant, and this is my first meeting serving as a president of the Social Services and Human Relations Board. Thank you to my fellow board members for your confidence and thank you to Samantha for leading us as acting president for the July meeting. A few housekeeping rules before we begin.gov. Comments received before the end of the public comment section will be read into the record. In person for all those who are here in person, please fill out a public comment slip. Public comments are limited to three minutes. Exits are located there and there. Non-agenda public comments. You may speak on any subject within the board's jurisdiction that's not on tonight's agenda. Under each agenda item, we will take public comment on that specific item. On Zoom, use the raise hand feature, and Secretary Mana Ayong will call on you to unmute. If you joined by phone, dial star nine and raise your hand. You can also email again a comment to G M A N A HYON at Alameda C A.gov. Include your name and the agenda item number. Comments will be resolved by the end of the public comment section and be read into direct. All right. I think I got most of that down, right? Uh while while we are conducting business of the city of Alameda tonight, let's agree to listen respectfully to each other. And public speaking can be stressful, and we know it is, so we don't want anyone to feel intimidated. Shrub meetings are a safe space to share. And uh please also be aware that disrupting a public meeting is a violation of California Penal Code. Uh see if I got anything else on here I should be reading. Uh, okay. With that said, I would like to call to order the meeting now at 7.04 p.m. All right. We'll start with roll call. Um quorum. I can just say when I call your name, uh raise your hand. Let's see if I've got all the names written down there, right? Right. Um written down there, right?

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