Meet OPDC's New Staff

It’s been a little while since we provided an update on the new faces here at OPDC. Check out our interviews below to learn more about your neighborhood crew.

Jared Cline, Writer

What drew you to OPDC?

I wanted to work for a group with a local focus.

What is your favorite thing about Oakland?

Beautiful homes in a dynamic community.

What is something you like to do outside of the office?

Watch the NBA.

Could you give me one recommendation?

Vinegar and pickled/fermented foods for good health.

Oyo Ellis, Maintenance Technician

What drew you to OPDC?

Due to its community outreach element. That typically doesn’t exist when you’re taking on maintenance work.

What is your favorite thing about Oakland?

The cultural diversity and proximity to parks, museums, and libraries.

What is something you like to do outside of the office?

I’m an avid roller skater.

Could you give me one recommendation?

Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life. No matter where you’re at in life, there’s a song for you.

Maurice Hayes, Housekeeper

What drew you to OPDC?

Seemed like a great company.

What is your favorite thing about Oakland?

The people and the food.

What is something you like to do outside of the office?

Collect fish. I have multiple fish tanks.

Could you give me one recommendation?

The Game of Thrones books.

Darnell Jackson, Property Manager

What drew you to OPDC?

The mission of creating affordable housing in Oakland.

What is your favorite thing about Oakland?

Oakland’s place as the city’s second major economic center.

What is something you like to do outside of the office?

Shoot pool, eat, play poker.

Could you give me one recommendation?

The movie The Gentleman—I live by it.

Akwasi Kusi, Real Estate Project Manager

What drew you to OPDC?

The beauty of Oakland and being part of an organization that is building here.

What is your favorite thing about Oakland?

The people and the diversity.

What is something you like to do outside of the office?

Work out.

Could you give me one recommendation?

The book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. I’m re-reading it.

See our Staff & Board page for more information.

New Renters, Same Mission: Neighborhood Quality

A new school year is beginning—and Liz Gray, Neighborhood Quality Consultant at OPDC, is ready. Here are her insights for getting plugged into the quality-of-life scene.  

This piece was originally featured in Oakland Together, a monthly newsletter mailed to older Oakland residents.

“Oakland is on the rise,” says Gray. “We have better capabilities to work with landlords and report concerns than we did five years ago.” 

Each year, Oakland welcomes a fresh crop of students new to living on their own, so there is a need to educate them about being a good neighbor.  

“Neighborhood quality is for everyone,” says Gray. “We’re not asking anyone to do anything that is above and beyond—containing trash, cutting grass. It’s an education… adult 101!”  

Oakland residents can come to OPDC if they are concerned about neighborhood quality.  

“I can be your voice and amplify your voice,” says Gray. “I’m happy to show you how to file a 311 concern. Become a squeaky wheel.” 

Do you want to be more involved in neighborhood quality? Attend meetings like Oakwatch: The Oakland Code Enforcement Project. OPDC provides staff support to Oakwatch to help residents address concerns and coordinate with our enforcement partners.  

“We’re a community—a family. Everybody who lives here has a responsibility for each other.”

File a 311 Concern

All calls to 311 are answered by a live operator from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. In the City of Pittsburgh, dial 3-1-1.

Oakwatch meets quarterly on the third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. The next meeting is September 21. Liz Gray can be reached at lgray@opdc.org and 412.335.0933.

Building CLT Homes, Building Credit

Community Resources Manager Camille Dixon on financial assistance for buyers in the Oakland Community Land Trust pipeline

Excavation is underway at Frazier North Residences, four new-construction, energy-efficient single-family houses on Frazier Street, as part of the Oakland Community Land Trust (CLT). Two of these homes will be reserved for households with special needs, such as those recovering from addiction or abuse, and one for a household experiencing homelessness. 

At the same time, buyers in our pipeline are gearing up for homeownership—for these and other homes coming to the market in the CLT. This requires a kind of financial excavation, says Community Resources Manager Camille Dixon, who works with individuals in preparation for purchasing a home.  

“The first thing we do is an initial meeting where we determine a budget, set SMART goals, obtain their personal documentation—taxes, income, bank statements, bills, all those things the bank is going to want when they purchase a home.” 

Through the Oakland CLT, Frazier North Residences will remain affordable to 80% AMI buyers permanently.

For prospective buyers, the focus is on “attacking credit, raising the score, and erasing things that are affecting it,” says Dixon.  

Financial assistance can be crucial for buyers in our pipeline, some of whom are well below the area median income (AMI). 

“That’s huge,” says Dixon. “It’s hard for someone who earns less than 50% AMI to qualify for a mortgage.”  

The CLT model is also a motivating factor for prospective buyers, who get to know the community and homes throughout the process. 

“We listen to the dreams and expectations of the buyer,” says Dixon. “What type of home do you want? Is your family growing or is it just you? Do you want to stay put or are you looking for a starter home? We want the home to fit their needs.” 

To learn more about permanently affordable homes in Oakland, visit our Community Land Trust page. 

OPDC Awarded PHARE Funds for Community Land Trust

THE FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE HOMES AND TO ADDRESS HISTORIC RACIAL DISPARITIES IN HOMEOWNERSHIP

Last week, Governor Tom Wolf announced the recipients of a new round of funding for housing programs through the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) fund.

OPDC was among the 245 housing and community development initiatives across 67 counties selected by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) to share a portion of the total $48.4 million in funding for fiscal year 2021-22.

“This program ensures that communities are able to preserve existing housing and create new housing so all Pennsylvanians have access to affordable, safe housing statewide,” said Gov. Wolf. “This funding will ensure that the money is applied where the need is greatest and can accomplish the most good.”

OPDC will use the $150,000 in PHARE funds to reclaim abandoned vacant land and increase affordable homeownership opportunities in Oakland neighborhoods. Each new home will be permanently affordable through the Oakland Community Land Trust, a nonprofit, community-supporting system of land ownership.

This work will build on 2020 PHARE/RTT support, which allowed us to provide additional funding to BIPOC homebuyers. BIPOC families have been and continue to be displaced from Oakland residential neighborhoods where they have resided for generations, many as long-term renters. The displacement is happening because of gentrification.

According to a 2020 report by City of Pittsburgh Department of City Planning, the number of residents that identify as Black has been declining in all Oakland neighborhood areas in the past two decades. The same study describes the vulnerability of Black residents to displacement—78% of Black households rent.

By investing in permanently affordable new home construction, we can continue to provide homes for purchase as we address racial disparities in homeownership.   

For more information on equitable development and neighborhood stability in Oakland, visit our Oakland Community Land Trust page.