Economy
A series of recently proposed housing developments along Macdonald Avenue in downtown Richmond could spur a business renaissance in the struggling district if city and local business leaders’ predictions ring true. In a city desperate for affordable housing, the developments reserve only about one quarter of the total number of units for residents making below the median income. The rest of the apartments would be rented at market rates. Still, Richmond leaders are supporting the proposals on land that has…
In U.S. District Court on Tuesday, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers called the years of legal battles over the scenic stretch of shoreline called Point Molate, “a tragedy for a city like the city of Richmond.” But still, Rogers said, she was inclined to allow the court case challenging a recent settlement between the city and casino developers to proceed because, “the law requires that i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed, and it’s not clear to me that that was done.”
As rents and home prices continue to skyrocket across California, a major ballot fight is brewing between tenants and the real estate industry over the state rent control law Costa Hawkins. The law prohibits cities from implementing rent control on single family homes as well as homes or apartments built after 1995 (or the year the city passed it’s rent control law, which, in Oakland, is 1983), resulting in 100% or more rent increases for tenants in these dwellings. The…
Last year in June, East Bay-resident Dieudonné Brou graduated from UCLA in African American studies. During his commencement speech, he revealed himself as formerly incarcerated. Even though higher education offers chance to break the cycle of recidivsm, barriers like financial difficulties and social stigma are high for former incarcerated people.
Do you work for Richmond schools and need to buy a home? The West Contra Costa Unified School District has introduced support programs for its employees at its housing fair.
Tobacco products like Swisher Sweets and Backwoods are mainstays in corner stores across the country. Some say that the bright wrapping and flavors like peach and fruit punch make these products attractive to the kids who encounter them while buying snacks. That’s why the city of Richmond bans menthol cigarettes and flavored tobacco products.
Recent data on homelessness in Richmond shows a dramatic decrease in the number of unsheltered people over the last few years. However, county and city officials are worried about the increase in homeless seniors and youth, and signs the homeless population is moving east.
After sitting vacant and neglected for almost a decade, 662 Fourth St., a home in the Iron Triangle, burst into flames. The blaze, which neighbors say was started by trespassers, lead to the destruction of three homes. According to public records and interviews with city officials, Richmond doesn’t have the budget or staffing to fully mitigate the risks posed by vacant homes.