Religious Leaders Demand Tax Funds Be Used As Voters Intended

The Interfaith Coalition for Justice in Our Jails delivered a plea on July 10, 2025, signed by 39 Religious leaders (see below) to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors asking them to use the revenue from the half-cent sales tax passed by the voters in 2020, as the voters intended, to reduce and prevent homelessness through coordinated investments in shelter, housing, and housing services.

·       “It is a moral imperative that activates our faith to care for the least, the lost, and the left out”, explained Rev. Jeremy McCants, Interim Pastor of Imani Community Church in Oakland. “Measure W ensures that we continue to provide sanctuary for the thriving of humanity. We demand that the Board meet its obligation to use this revenue to address the housing crisis.”

·       $650 million has already been collected from the half-cent sales tax, and an estimated $190 million will be generated annually.

·       The Board is scheduled to vote on the use of the funds on July 22.

In 2023, the Board declared a county-wide “State of Emergency” to combat homelessness. Now is the time to follow through on that declaration.

LETTER

July 10, 2025

Dear Members of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors,

As people of faith and leaders of congregations in Alameda County, we strongly

encourage the Board to utilize Measure W funds to house people experiencing

chronic homelessness, prevent homelessness for at-risk residents, and provide

holistic housing support for the most marginalized among these populations.

Our community members at highest risk of experiencing homelessness are people

who are extremely low-income, justice-involved, and living with serious mental

illness or behavioral health concerns. Residents at the intersection of these

categories face even greater risks. Many veterans are also at risk.

When the voters passed Measure W in 2020, we understood that it would fund the

strategies to end homelessness developed in the Home Together 2020 plan. Our

congregations support that plan, because we believe that if the most marginalized

and vulnerable populations – namely people coming home from jail or prison, and

those who have serious behavioral health concerns – are housed and healthy, our

entire county will be transformed.

Our congregations strongly support the Care First, Jails Last Resolution passed by

the Board of Supervisors in 2021. In the final report issued last year, the Care First

Task Force emphasized that “housing plays a crucial role in the rehabilitation and

reintegration of justice-involved individuals with mental illness.” The report urged

the County to invest in deep rental subsidies, and to build affordable and supportive

housing targeting justice involved and unhoused members of our community.

The hundreds of millions of dollars generated by Measure W finally give the County

the opportunity to address homelessness in a significant way. We believe there is a

moral imperative to spend this money as the voters intended it to be spent. Please

act with urgency to:

– significantly expand deep rental subsidies for the justice-involved, reentry, and

seriously mentally ill populations;

– facilitate rapid rehousing, prevent homelessness, and ensure long-term housing

stability; and

– significantly expand the availability, quality, and staffing of permanent supportive

housing units specifically for these populations.

In faith,

Rev. Molly Baskette, Co-Senior Minister, First Church Berkeley UCC

Pastor Todd Benson, Executive Director, Faith In Action East Bay

Rabbi Allan Berkowitz

Rev. Dr. Ambrose F. Carroll, Founder, Green The Church

David Cooper, Rabbi Emeritus, Kehilla Community Synagogue, Piedmont

Pastor Billy Dixon, At Thy Word Ministries Church of God in Christ, Oakland

The Rev. Dr. Dale K. Edmondson, American Baptist Churches, Retired, Oakland

Rev. Mary Foran, member, First Unitarian Church of Oakland

David B. Franklin, PhD, Pastor, Incredible Church, Oakland

Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, Shomeret Shalom Ordination Program

Rabbi Chaya Gusfield, Oakland

The Reverend Dr. H. James Hopkins, Senior Pastor, Lakeshore Avenue Baptist

Church, Oakland

Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California

Rev. Jean Jeffress, Associate Pastor, Plymouth United Church of Christ, Oakland

Rev. Sandhya Jha, Oakland

Justice Council of the First Unitarian Church of Oakland

Reverend Deborah Lee, Co-Executive Director, Interfaith Movement for Human

Integrity

Rev. Laurie Manning, Pastor, Skyline Community Church, UCC, Oakland

Rev. Marjorie W. Matthews, Pastor, Plymouth United Church of Christ, Oakland

Fr. Aidan McAleenan, Pastor, St. Columba Catholic Church, Oakland

Rev. Jeremy McCants, Interim Pastor, Imani Community Church, Oakland

Rev. Barbara F. Meyers, Affiliated Community Minister, Mission Peak Unitarian

Universalist Congregation, Fremont

Rev. Dr. Aleese Moore-Orbih, Advocate, Activist and Theologian, United Church of

Christ

Rev. Lois Mueller, Pastor Emerita, Plymouth United Church of Christ, Oakland

Rev. Rob Newells-Newton, Associate Minister, Imani Community Church, Oakland

Senior Rabbi Dev Noily, Kehilla Community Synagogue, Piedmont

Rev. Millie Phillips, Faith Alliance for a Moral Economy, Oakland

Rev. Dr. Sheri Prud'homme, Starr King School for the Ministry, Oakland

Imam Sundiata Rashid, Lighthouse Mosque, Oakland

Darryl Ray, Chair, Faith and Justice Action Team, Starr King Unitarian Universalist

Church, Hayward

Rev David Robinson, Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, Oakland

Pastor Phyllis Scott, Senior Pastor, Tree Of Life Ministries Church and Director of the

Oakland Community Chaplain Program, a violence prevention chaplain

organization

Rabbi Judith Seid, Livermore

Norwood "Woody" Square Jr., Associate Pastor, San Leandro Church of Christ

Rev. Dr. Allison J. Tanner, Pastor of Public Witness, Lakeshore Avenue Baptist

Church, Oakland

Pastor Michael W. Wallace, Senior Pastor, Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church,

Oakland

Rev. Cheryl D. Ward, Ph.D. (Candidate), Cheryl Ward Ministries, Oakland

Servant BK Woodson, Sr., Sr. Pastor, Bay Area Christian Connection, Oakland

Rabbi Cat Zavis, Beyt Tikkun Synagogue, Berkeley