Home Today, Home Tomorrow: The Housing Preservation Ecosystem: Part 1

Somaya Abdelgany is the Preservation Program Coordinator for the recently launched Bay Area Housing Finance Authority, or BAHFA. She leads the development of regional programs that aim to preserve affordability of the existing unsubsidized and at-risk housing stock and to protect current residents from displacement in the process. The pilot programs she manages present the opportunity to make immediate impact towards the vision of a more equitable Bay Area while preparing BAHFA for the infusion of unprecedented capital through a potential regional ballot measure in 2024. Somaya brings a decade of experience in affordable housing development, technical assistance, and public program implementation.

Gloria is the Senior Program Officer for Housing Security and Public/Private Partnerships at Crankstart Foundation, overseeing grants focused on homelessness and housing affordability solutions in the Bay Area. From 2015 to 2022, Gloria was Executive Director of East Bay Housing Organizations, the leading advocacy coalition promoting affordable housing and housing justice in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Gloria has 20 years of experience in social justice and community development in the Bay Area, Boston, and her hometown area of Washington, D.C. She has a graduate degree in City and Regional Planning from UC-Berkeley, and focused on African-American and women’s history as an undergrad at Harvard/Radcliffe. She is Chair of the Alameda County Measure A1 Oversight Committee and serves on the SPUR Oakland Policy Advisory Board. She lives in Oakland, California with her wife and two children.

Leo Goldberg is Co-Director for Policy and Capacity Building at the California Community Land Trust Network where he leads policy advocacy and technical assistance activities for 28 community led affordable housing organizations. Leo has held a range of housing research and advocacy positions. Prior to returning to California, Leo was Policy and Research Manager at the Center for NYC Neighborhoods where he led research and program design efforts focused on speculative real estate practices and the racial wealth gap. In other roles he studied housing in the global south, organized tenants, and advocated for policies that benefit unhoused New Yorkers. He holds a B.A. in History and Urban Studies from Columbia University and a M.A. in City Planning from MIT.

Aubra joined The Unity Council (TUC) in September 2018 after more than a decade working at two other regionally focused Bay Area affordable housing developers. She is well versed in every stage of development including developing and implementing acquisition and financing strategies, facilitating the work of a design and construction team to identify appropriate design solutions for targeted populations, and overseeing project manager staff to deliver high quality and impactful projects. Throughout her career, Aubra has directly managed or overseen the development and/or preservation of over 1000 apartments representing almost $700 million in total development costs. Throughout her career, Aubra has worked in affordable housing finance and tax credit syndication, city government, and taught affordable housing finance. Aubra holds a Masters of Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. She currently serves on the Boards of the East Bay Housing Organization (EBHO) and of Coolidge Court, one of the country’s first affordable housing communities designed for young adults with psychiatric disabilities. She is also a LEED Accredited Professional under the LEED for Homes program.

Ellen Wu is the Executive Director of Urban Habitat, whose mission is to democratize power and advance equitable policies to create a just and connected Bay Area for low-income communities of color. Urban Habitat brings race and class to the forefront of transportation, land use, and housing policies and supports community leaders to serve on boards and commissions. She is currently Chair of the City of Oakland’s Affordable Housing and Infrastructure Bond Oversight Committee. She received her Masters in Public Health from UCLA.