The Supportive Housing Community Land Alliance (SHCLA) is a nonprofit social enterprise whose mission is to ease the housing crisis for people with serious mental health challenges in Alameda County. SHCLA creates and stewards permanently affordable housing through the land trust model, maintaining ownership of the land, assuring the homes provide stable, supportive, and successful housing for residents whose incomes are 30% of the Alameda County Area Median Income.
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A community land trust (CLT) is a place-based nonprofit that holds land on behalf of the community. All land trust residents have a voice at the table regarding organizational policies, services and activities.
A CLT can address displacement and gentrification by maintaining affordable home prices for low-income renters. The land is held as a community asset, making it affordable for the community in perpetuity.
ensures exclusive use of the land, and perpetual affordability through resale price restrictions.
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of single family homes, multifamily residential units, etc. provides security, equity and inheritance rights.
The CLT owns the land as the legal vehicle to represent the community. Governed by residents, community members and stakeholders, it ensures community interests—in rebuilding, affordability, protection from speculators and common uses.
Between 2015-2017, 41% of unhoused individuals in Alameda reported a psychiatric or emotional condition that impacted their ability to obtain housing.
In 2019 Alameda County peers and family members advocated in Sacramento for the SHCLA housing proposal submitted by ACBH to the MHSA Innovation Grant.
In 2020, ACBH launched SHCLA, a pilot project using the CLT model to ease the housing crisis for people living with SMI and incomes below 30% AMI.
In 2021, SHCLA recruited an advisory committee. The committee elected the founding Board of Directors in June and the board appointed an executive director in October.
In 2023/24, SHCLA prepares to acquire its first property -- a multifamily near net-zero home in Oakland in partnership with families, Alameda County Office of Homeless Care and Coordination, and Alameda County Behavioral Healthcare Services.
SHCLA creates healthy and empowering living environments for individuals and families living with mental health challenges and very low incomes by:
Teslim is an urban strategist, community convener, and impact investor, using finance, real estate development, social services, and policy to produce positive change. With several professional lives as an investment advisor, real estate developer, and managing director of social service programs, Teslim brings experience in mental health, homeless, formerly incarcerated, and social justice disciplines to Supportive Housing Community Land Alliance.
An Oakland native, Teslim grew up in the city’s Dimond District--a neighborhood he credits with helping to shape his worldview and belief that diversity is a necessary component for creating resilient communities. He believes that proximity and access to public spaces, academic and cultural institutions, and public transit are the bedrock of inclusive, diverse, safe, and healthy blocks, neighborhoods, and cities.
As SHCLA’s first staff person and first executive director, Teslim is most excited about bridging the gap between academic research on access to high opportunity neighborhoods and SHCLA resident health outcomes. He looks forward to working to democratize beauty by adding elements of art and design to each project so that residents, and the surrounding neighborhood, feel more socially connected.
Ryan Johnson has 16 years of capital markets, real estate acquisitions, and non-profit experience having worked for Whitehall Capital, PIMCO, LISC Strategic Investments, and the Greenville Housing Fund. He has acquired & developed over $500 million of mixed-income real estate. He has also issued 501C-3 bonds and structured innovative community development funds including the Charlotte Housing Opportunity Investment Fund. Ryan is excited to bring his experience in impact investing to SHCLA and to create a positive long-term impact for individuals suffering from severe mental illness within the community.
Michelle comes to SHCLA as a program specialist, a certified professional coach, and an intentional community nurturer. With over 10 years of experience in program design and implementation, curriculum development, and training/facilitation, she has led workforce development programs and economic mobility initiatives and curated countless workshops on cultural humility, community care, and mental health advocacy. Her experience started in education, specifically serving black and brown, first-generation learners attending college or starting their careers. As she continued in her career, she has worked alongside adult learners, transitional-aged youth (TAY), justice-impacted community members, and folks with mental health needs to create services most necessary and relevant for them.
Michelle grew up in the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and moved to Oakland after completing her degree at Dartmouth College. She studied how both Geography and Environmental Sciences intersected with mental health, which speaks to her expertise in biophilic design and the importance of SHCLA's commitment to housing with a connection to nature. In addition, her coaching certification specializes in cultural humility, professional development, and health/wellness care. Michelle's personal experience and heart are deeply tied to SHCLA's work. She is committed to ensuring SHCLA's work prioritizes our community members with SMI through consistent, intentional housing and nurturing community.
With over two decades of experience in operations management across diverse industries such as hospitality and technology startups, Rachel Strom is a seasoned professional known for her empathetic, people-centric approach. She excels in crafting business processes that seamlessly align with both organizational objectives and stakeholder needs.
Specializing in technology integration, data management, client relations, and event coordination, Rachel's expertise spans critical areas essential for organizational success.
Driven by personal experiences, Rachel's passion for community welfare was ignited when she witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by vulnerable individuals navigating mental health services. This encounter inspired her commitment to supporting the mission of SHCLA, turning her heartfelt concern into tangible action and meaningful contribution.
Srujan Gajjala is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) Management at Carnegie Mellon University. Leveraging his background as a trained architect, Srujan brings three years of experience working on multi-family residential projects, cultural initiatives, and community development. His expertise lies in efficient design, strategic development, and comprehensive project management. Driven by a deep commitment to urban place-making and innovative social housing, Srujan is further honing his skills as a real estate development intern with SHCLA.
Adept at mobilizing communities and fostering brand connections, Vanessa thrives at the intersection of business and social impact. A Black Leader Fellow and McGrath Scholar at USF, she's recently graduated with a BA in International Business with a strong focus on cultural competency. Throughout her academic and professional journey, Vanessa has consistently woven together her passions for community organizing, relationship building, and innovative thinking to help companies solve problems. From working in digital marketing for startups to non-profits, Vanessa enjoys bringing communities together online and in person. Her experience spans marketing and event teams, where she's championed collaborative efforts to illuminate brand identity organically.
Joy Massey is a Program Manager at TransForm, a non-profit addressing climate change and social inequity through transportation and housing solutions. She is a community change agent that prioritizes people, especially Black and Brown communities. Joy has over 10 years of professional experience in public health program development, the leadership of project management processes, data analysis, the creation of strategic partnerships, and the facilitation of community decision-making efforts. A resident of South Berkeley (born and raised) Joy understands the need for anti-displacement strategies and is excited to join SHCLA to help address this need for those living with severe mental health issues. Joy served as SHCLA's founding Board Vice President and currently serves as the Board President.
Tia Hicks is a Program Officer at LISC Bay Area, supporting affordable housing capacity building. She specifically manages the Faith and Housing Program that supports faith-based organizations to build affordable housing on their land in the Bay Area. A native of Oakland,California, she is a 10-year cross-sector social equity expert that has utilized grassroots organizing and racial equity principles to advance just outcomes for low-income communities of color in Oakland, San Francisco, and Detroit. Her career has spanned education, transportation, housing, workforce and community development as well as arts and culture. She is an alum of Cornell University and the University of Michigan. Tia serves as a commissioner for Oakland’s Affordable Housing & Infrastructure Bond Public Oversight Committee and is a 2022 PLACES Fellow with The Funders Network.
Sherry Novick is a retired former employee of Kaiser Permanente, where she was a Thrive Local Community Health Lead and Managing Director of Community Benefit programs. Before Kaiser, she served as Executive Director of the First 5 Association of California, an organization of California’s 58 First 5 County Children and Families Commissions. In that role, Sherry helped coordinate the activities of local commissions, facilitated technical assistance and training efforts, and represented the commissions with partner agencies statewide concerned with the well-being of young children. Before assuming this position, Sherry worked for 15 years in the California Legislature, where she served as a consultant to the Joint Select Task Force on the Changing Family and later as Chief Consultant to the Assembly Human Services Committee. During her years with the State Assembly, Sherry specialized in issues related to child and family services, early care and education, income support programs, care home licensing, disability, and community-based services.
Sherry holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Chikwanda Chabala, a resident of Alameda City, and Zambia/Central Africa born and bred. She is the CEO/Founder of Kapumpe Choni, an Alameda-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to support community programs that aim at improving the living standards for underprivileged communities locally and in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Alameda is diverse. Chikwanda believes in diversity. For her, diversity is the critical component of cultural competence, which helps her better understand the community she resides in. Because everyone deserves an equal opportunity, Chikwanda uses her mental health and homeless lived experience to advocate for permanent housing and mental health services for low-income and mentally challenged individuals. She is a member of Peers Organization Community Change/POCC, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for Alameda County residents who have mental health issues. She participates in the Lift Every Voice and Speaks peer-led support group under the Peers Envisioning Engaging Recovery/PEERS, an Oakland-based nonprofit.
While advocating for mental health care and homelessness, she obtained an AA degree in Humanity and health Science, BA in community health from the University of CA, Hayward, and holds an MPH/master’s in public health from the University of New England. Her life’s vision is to see to it that no one is left behind in permanent housing and mental health care. To fulfill her mission and serve the community better, she dedicates her lived experience as a bridge to advocate for access to permanent housing and mental health services.
A native of Oakland, California Gordon Reed is the middle child of 15 brothers and sisters. He is the current chairperson for the Pool of Consumer’s Champion (POCC), a position he has held since 2017. Through his position he works on the African American Empowerment Committee, leading outreach efforts in Alameda County around mental health awareness and advocacy. He also serves on the board overseeing the managing of funds allocated from Proposition 47 to mental health clients and incarcerated individuals. Mr. Reed is also a part of Justice Involved Mental Health, an organization that advocates for its clients by working with the criminal justice system (judges, law enforcement, etc.) on intervention strategies. In addition to this Mr. Reed is a spokesperson and on the advisory team for the Housing is Health Network. Lastly, Mr. Reed serves on the planning committee for the California Association of Mental Health Peer Run Organization (CAMHPRO). Prior to joining POCC he worked at Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), for 19 years. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, cooking, and being with his family and beloved bulldog Snickers.
Fred White is a seasoned real estate capital markets professional with over 20 years of commercial real estate and housing experience with 4 global investment managers, the City of Los Angeles, and CALHFA resulting in $8 billion + of investments. He is well versed in U.S real estate property markets, underwriting, setting investment objectives, negotiating documents, assessing owners/fund operators, and structuring alternative funding sources for affordable housing preservation and development.
Currently, Mr. White is part of the Housing Solutions Team (HST) with the City of Los Angeles. Fred’s responsibilities include implementing the City's $120MM Housing Challenge RFP in partnership with the LA Housing Department (LAHD). Fred also served as the Head of the West Region for State Street Bank’s inaugural core Commercial Real Estate lending platform, helping the firm achieve $1 billion in mortgages nationwide in its first year.
Prior to his most recent roles, Fred was a Senior Director in Nuveen’s Global Real Estate business with responsibilities for all aspects of mortgage origination and real estate acquisitions as well as underwriting real estate impact investments nationally (including affordable housing opportunities). He is responsible for establishing and maintaining TIAA’s west coast debt origination presence from 2006-2016, opening the firm’s Newport Beach commercial mortgage origination office and subsequently the San Francisco commercial mortgage origination office.
In addition, Fred is finishing up a Doctorate in Business focused on Increasing Institutional Asset Owner Capital into Mixed-Income Housing.
Christina Murphy believes that Stable Housing is the key to our Community Health and Wealth.
As a lifelong Berkeley resident and experienced housing advocate, Christina has pledged to continue to ensure habitability and to strengthen tenant protections. During her 2016 term as a Berkeley Rent Board Stabilization Commissioner she has connected hundreds of homeless Berkeley residents to scarce housing resources. She is deeply concerned about the displacement and gentrification across Alameda County of African Americans and other vulnerable populations. Founding member of Friends of Adeline, she will fight unlawful rent increases and constructive evictions so that Alameda County maintains its dwindling diversity in age, gender, ethnicity, abilities, and income.
Michelle Hailey is a longtime Oakland Resident. She was raised in Berkley, and has made her home in West Oakland. She is a licensed realtor, worked in mortgage lending for over 20 years, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Cal State East Bay. Public service has always driven her professional goals throughout her career. Michelle is a singer/songwriter, has published music with Grammy Award winning artists, and spends her free time working and collaborating with other musicians in the Bay Area.
Erin started her career in supportive housing, and later worked as a CLT staff member while earning her degree in psychology and becoming licensed as a therapist. With personal and professional experience in the mental health community, Erin believes that our vulnerabilities can lead to our greatest strengths, and feels honored to have been a part of SHCLA's founding team.
Linder is a retired consultant with 30 years of experience providing marketing strategies and organizational development for non-profit organizations and international government agencies. In 1989, she co-founded the MIND Project and created the internet prototype OpenMind, a California state-wide computer based information exchange network linking stakeholders ranging from consumers, family groups and all local and state entities concerned with the provision and receipt of services for the seriously mentally ill. Linder is a NAMI family member and active volunteer with Solutions for Supportive Homes and the East Bay Supportive Housing Collaborative.
Susan R. Shelton is a 31+ year employee and manager of homeless and hunger programs in Oakland, CA. She is a veteran planner and program designer of local, state and federal prevention, outreach, shelter, temporary and permanent housing programs. She received an undergraduate degree in Public Administration and Planning from a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), Winston-Salem State University. Her graduate degree is from the University of Michigan in City Planning (MUP) with an emphasis in International Development.
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Chris is the Director of Housing Justice at Urban Habitat, and supporter of grassroots organizers to advance housing justice and anti-displacement policies around the country, including through community land trusts and permanently affordable housing. She also serves as chair of the Berkeley Housing Authority and is a founding member of a community-based organization which works to reverse the displacement of African Americans and support affordable housing development in her home community of South Berkeley. She holds a bachelor of arts and a master of city planning from the University of California, Berkeley. As a family member of a person living with severe mental illness, she is passionate about the work of the SHCLA to transform our broken housing system in order to support people with mental illness to live a life with dignity.
Emile Durette resides in Oakland, California and is a Management Analyst with the Alameda County Social Services Agency. Previously, he was a self-employed organizational development consultant specializing in assisting nonprofit / nongovernmental organizations, educational institutions, government agencies and commercial enterprises improve their operational performance. Emile served as the Executive Director of three start-up nonprofit organizations and has extensive experience in the realm of public policy development at the federal and municipal levels of government. He holds a MBA from the Harvard Business School, pursued graduate studies in international relations / economics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and holds a BA in economics from the University of Maryland. Emile’s recreational interests include reading, movies, bike riding, dining and travel.
John has been providing health care advisory services for more than 30 years to providers and purchasers of health services and feels passionate about getting health care to people who need it.
Ian has served as Executive Director of the Northern California Land Trust since early 2002, and is a long-term CLT & coop resident. Professionally he has over 10-years of experience in sustainable construction and architecture as well as community activism and organizational development. He trained as a photographer/filmmaker and art/architectural historian at Tufts University and the Boston Museum School and graduate architecture/design work at the San Francisco Institute of Architecture. Outside of the CLT world he maintains an active life as a working artist.
Mary served as a member of SHCLA’s Founding Advisory Committee, as well as SHCLA’s Founding Board Secretary. She continues to serve as a Community Supporter and "Chief Inspiration Officer." ;)
Mary is currently employed by Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services Office of Peer Support Services as the Manager of the POCC (Peers Organizing Community Change). The POCC is a 1600 member mental health and substance use consumer group that works to transform the Behavioral Health system to a client driven recovery vision. Mary Hogden also serves as the board chair of the California Association of Mental Health Peer Run Organizations (CAMHPRO). Previously Mary used her lived experience to run a self-help peer re-educational alternative to incarceration for men and women with mental health and substance use history.
“We don’t want people to lose housing if there’s a crisis that takes them away from their home.”