About OCCUR
Mission | History | Highlights and Benchmarks | OCCUR Staff | Board of Directors
MISSION
OCCUR is committed to its mission: “To positively and effectively design and implement programs and services that improve the lives and conditions of low income residents, neighborhoods and communities.”
HISTORY
OCCUR was founded in 1954 at a time when the City of Oakland, CA was transforming from a mid-sized working class community to one of the country’s most complex and diverse cities came with all of the issues related to urban renewal. This transformation included all of the issues linked to increased urban migration, emerging poverty, new demands for social services and affordable housing. The Oakland Citizens Committee for Urban Renewal (OCCUR) was dedicated to monitoring Oakland’s transformation into a new urban melting pot with all its big city challenges, and the need to develop Oakland’s neighborhoods with Federal resources and programs. OCCUR’s founding members were convinced that Oakland needed an independent organization that was prepared to confront emerging poverty, urban blight and increased migration by populations of color. Now, in its role as an intermediary and public service policy organization OCCUR provides critical services and programs in community technology, nonprofit capacity building, consumer education, equitable development/drill down and civic engagement.
Over its more than 50 year history, OCCUR has consistently served as a community “watchdog” agency and has honed its strategic effectiveness in serving the interests and improved quality of life for low-income youth, residents and families in the balanced delivery of goods, effective public policy and community services.
Today, OCCUR remains firmly rooted in the overall goal of raising the quality of life for all of Oakland/East Bay residents, with an emphasis on serving those in the greatest need of balanced delivery of goods, effective public policy and services. Please see our Programs section for more information about our current programs.
OCCUR HIGHLIGHTS AND BENCHMARKS
| 1954 – 1964: |
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OCCUR is founded to confront critical challenges facing local government on housing resources, urban renewal, population growth and desegregation. OCCUR begins to advise City leaders on these issues. |
| 1964 – 1974: |
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OCCUR addresses the civil rights and social justice issues of housing discrimination, local employment and federal program decision making. OCCUR designs the first Community Development District leadership structure. |
| 1974 – 1984: |
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OCCUR fights for neighborhood resident leadership to challenge displacement by freeway construction and other major development projects. OCCUR demands that neighborhoods have input on critical planning decisions that relate to jobs and contracting opportunities |
| 1984 – 1994: |
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OCCUR proposes a Community and Minority Equity Participation Policy and emphasizes the importance of Neighborhood Empowerment and expanding the local community development agenda. OCCUR educates thousands of nonprofit organizations on capacity building and organization development. |
| 1994 – 2004: |
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OCCUR develops asset mapping, needs assessments and the Neighborhood Profiles project as a way to deploy effective community building strategies. OCCUR launches community technology by establishing the Eastmont Computing Center as a multimedia learning center for digital inclusion. OCCUR utilizes community technology and new content creation along with consumer demand to increase investment in “Emerging Communities”. |
| 2004 – 2010: |
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OCCUR continues to revitalize low-moderate income neighborhoods and communities by facilitating strategic local investments and development activity along key retail and commercial corridors by following up with banks, social investors and foundations. OCCUR aggressively implements financial literacy and consumer education programs for low-income residents and families toward the promotion of a more sustainable community economy. OCCUR engages faith-based institutions alongside community-based and nonprofit organizations to implement aggressive civic engagement and leadership development activity to partner towards optimal community service delivery goals. OCCUR builds on the success of the Eastmont Technology Center by establishing the Lion Creek Crossings Neighborhood Networks Center. |
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