This election season, El Tímpano asked Latino and Mayan immigrants living in the East Bay to share the top issues they face in their daily lives. We reached residents through a text message survey and an in-person ballot box activity at community events across Alameda and Contra Costa counties. More than 280 people weighed in on issues that spanned the cost of living, education, health, housing, jobs, public safety and more.
In Oakland, our survey participants identified their four biggest concerns as housing, jobs, the cost of living and public safety. We heard from community members dealing with raised rents, some who feel unsafe taking public transportation and others juggling multiple jobs to make ends meet.
We shared these concerns with the three candidates for Oakland’s District 5, a heavily Latino area that spans the Fruitvale District, Lower Dimond District and adjacent neighborhoods. We asked each candidate to share how they would address each issue if they were elected. Two out of the three candidates responded (we did not receive responses from Dominic Prado).
Below are the candidates’ responses, edited for clarity and length.
Jump to: Housing | Jobs | Cost of living | Public safety
Housing
The Latino and Mayan immigrants we surveyed ranked housing as the number one issue they face. One subscriber, Regina C., said her rent recently increased. How will your housing policies ensure affordable, safe, and stable housing for immigrant families?
Erin Armstrong: Regina C.’s story about rent increases is one we hear too often in District 5. Stable housing is a fundamental right, and that’s why I’ve prioritized policies aimed at preventing displacement and homelessness.
As the lead on Measure W, I’ve worked hard to ensure our most vulnerable residents have access to emergency housing and rent assistance because the cost of living is so high that everyone is living on the edge. A single misfortune (medical emergency, losing your job, etc) can easily spiral into homelessness. Measure W will provide short-term assistance that focuses on keeping people housed and preventing displacement.
I have also led efforts to build more affordable housing, including the development of the County’s affordable housing plan, Measure A1 and the BAHFA regional housing bond. Moving forward, I will push for more affordable housing developments and expanded rental assistance programs so that immigrant families can feel secure in their homes without the constant worry of sudden rent hikes.
Noel Gallo: For the past twelve years, I have advocated for and facilitated significant investments in District 5 housing, infrastructure, commercial and industrial development, jobs, education, community services and cultural activities.
I have been actively involved in making sure that Oakland has affordable housing. I have facilitated the production of 2,000 units of housing that have been developed or are in the pipeline in District 5 by public, community development and private investors. I will work to make sure these developments are built on time.
I have supported community members who come to my office or see in the community to link them to housing resources. I will continue to push for the enforcement of penalties on landlords who conduct illegal evictions and not being responsible for the care of their properties.
I have supported and will continue to support the Oakland Tenant Rights Protection laws to ensure that tenants are protected and that Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance is enforced.
As a member of the Joint Powers Authority overseeing the funds for addressing lead-based paint and lead contamination of many residential units in Oakland, I have been working hard to get the City of Oakland to move more quickly to use the funds to help repair these unsafe homes. I plan to work with the housing staff to see about relocation resources to assist families affected by this issue, and recently I ensured that some funds are being made available to help with the lead issue at some of Oakland public schools.
Jobs
The second top issue survey participants voted for was jobs. Alberto S. shared that he hasn’t been able to find work for six months. Virginia C. says her work hours have been cut, it’s been difficult finding full-time work and she had to take two part-time jobs to make ends meet. What strategies do you propose to improve job opportunities, fair wages, and workplace protections for immigrant workers?
Erin Armstrong: The concerns raised by Alberto S. and Virginia C. about job opportunities are crucial to the well-being of our community. Every Oakland resident, including our immigrant population, deserves access to fair, living-wage jobs.
Expanding local apprenticeship programs will be one of my top priorities, providing pathways for individuals to learn new skills and earn a livable wage. Additionally, I’ll continue to advocate for local hiring policies for public projects and stronger workplace protections, ensuring that our immigrant workers are treated fairly and have the resources they need to succeed.
Beyond that, we need to ensure that Oakland is a place where businesses want to grow and invest. That is why I am focused so much on the basics of city government: clean streets and safe neighborhoods. Without those, businesses will continue to leave Oakland, and our residents will continue to suffer.
Noel Gallo: Under my leadership, close to 1 million square feet of new industrial & commercial development has been secured, of which half is now available – creating potentially up to 750 new jobs.
I advocated for over $1 million in workforce development funding for District 5 – grants to Unity Council, Lao Family Center, Native American Health Center and Youth Employment Partnership. I advocated for funding to Peralta Hacienda Historical Park, the Spanish-speaking Citizens Foundation and Street Level Health to provide job training [and] community information resources.
As a member of the City Council, I approved the City of Oakland Minimum Wage Laws, Measure FF and Measure Z to protect workers, including hotel workers. I am planning to request a report from the Labor Standards Division on the number of labor claims and outreach efforts to workers and employers.
Cost of living
The third top issue survey participants ranked was the cost of living. Blanca A. shared that the cost of healthy food, clothes for her kids, school materials, and gasoline has increased, but her wages haven’t gone up. How do you plan to address the rising cost of living in Oakland and its impact on immigrant communities?
Erin Armstrong: Blanca A.’s struggles with the rising cost of living resonate deeply. With prices increasing for essentials, we need to ensure wages keep up. I’m committed to advocating for policies that promote living wages while also expanding access to essential public services, such as affordable childcare, food assistance, and public transportation.
I led the creation of Measure A (2018), which ensures that all families have access to high-quality child care and preschool, regardless of their ability to pay. During the pandemic, I guided our food delivery system to ensure that families who were struggling had access to healthy food. As Chair of the BART Police Citizen Review Board, I championed policies that provided subsidized transportation to minors and people who were struggling financially. These initiatives provided some relief to our families and helped them better manage the financial pressures they face, but there is much more that needs to be done.
Noel Gallo: The high cost of living is an issue for many families in Oakland due to the economic market conditions. I will continue to advocate for affordable housing production, and tenant and worker protections, work with the schools to ensure support to families and children, and work with community service providers on ways to support our immigrant families.
I will also work with the city staff to identify funding to assist with immigrant community services.
Public safety
The fourth top issue survey participants ranked was public safety. Angie H. wrote that as a mother, she doesn’t feel safe walking with her family around her neighborhood and that she hears gunshots daily. What measures will you implement to ensure the safety and well-being of immigrant residents?
Erin Armstrong: Angie H.’s concerns about public safety are top of mind for me. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own neighborhood. My approach to public safety goes beyond just policing—it includes investments in violence prevention programs, crisis response teams like MACRO, and youth engagement initiatives.
By ensuring our police force is fully staffed while also focusing on community-based safety solutions, we can create safer neighborhoods for all families, including the Latino and Mam immigrant communities. As Chair of the BART Police Citizen Review Board, I championed policies that improved officer response time while also reducing the cost of public safety, allowing us to hire more officers. As the leader of the Alameda County Violence Prevention Initiative, I also understand that a lot of crime that happens (robberies, break-ins, etc) are driven by economic disparities.
The bottom line is that these issues are connected. People who have all of their basic needs met are not out robbing people. That is why, in addition to a fully funded police force, we also need to invest in ensuring that basic needs are being met. That community has access to employment opportunities, where they can receive a living wage and access affordable housing. And that’s how we get real, sustainable public safety.
Noel Gallo: I will continue to ensure that Oakland Police Department Officers assigned to District 5 are bilingual. I am responsible for ensuring 2 Police Substations in District 5 – Fruitvale Shopping Center and the High Street Shopping Center and two new substations at the Fruitvale Transit Village and 54th Avenue & International Blvd. I will continue to ensure that these substations are open and available.
I take public safety seriously – I led funding efforts to support safety ambassadors, security cameras, and services of the California Highway Patrol (CHP), and worked with BART and its Police Department and AC Transit – Alameda County Sheriff Department, as well as the FBI regarding human trafficking and drug rings affecting community members. I will continue these efforts.
I will continue these public safety efforts that also benefit merchants, schools, and neighborhoods. My office will continue to work daily to end illegal dumping, blight, and because the City has limited resources, my staff and volunteers also trim street trees and work on graffiti removal.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Click here to learn about the different ways you can vote. For a list of vote centers in Oakland, view this map.
