Moms 4 Housing

Moms 4 Housing started as a group of housing activists in Oakland, California. It became an official charity in 2020. The group gained attention when three Black women, who had previously been homeless, moved their families into an empty three-bedroom house. They did this without permission from the owner, a company that buys and fixes up homes.

In January 2020, a judge told the women to leave, but they refused. Police came and quietly took them away. A short time later, the governor and the mayor helped Moms 4 Housing make a deal. They bought the house, which became known as the "Moms' House," from the owner through a local community land trust.

After fixing up the house, Moms 4 Housing began using it as a place for homeless mothers to stay while they looked for permanent homes. Because of their work, leaders in California decided to change some housing laws across the whole state.

Occupation of the Moms' House

In August 2019, a company that buys and fixes up houses bought a empty house in Oakland, California. Many people could not afford to rent or buy homes in the area because they did not earn enough money.

In November 2019, three mothers who had been homeless moved into the empty house. They cleaned it, made repairs, and began to live there. They did this to show how many people needed homes and to stand up for their right to a place to live.

The owners of the house wanted them to leave, and a judge said they had to go. But the mothers said they would not leave until they got the help they needed. On January 14, 2020, police came to remove them from the house. The mothers were arrested but later released. Many people supported them and said the police used too much force.

After this, the house was sold to a group that would keep it as affordable housing for people in need. The story of these mothers inspired others in different cities to take action for better housing.

Related legislation

In January 2020, people from Moms 4 Housing spoke out during a meeting where a state senator was talking about a new law to help solve housing problems. They said they felt the state wasn’t helping enough people who had nowhere to live.

Later, in May 2020, another leader tried to change the state’s rules to say that everyone should have a place to live, but that idea didn’t become a law.

Then in September 2020, the governor approved a new rule about selling houses. This rule stops big companies from buying many houses at once. If a company tries to buy a house, local groups, charities, renters, or single people can try to buy it too within 45 days. The rule also lets cities fine companies if they leave houses empty and broken for too long.

Membership

Moms 4 Housing started as a group of women in Oakland, California, who were homeless or had very little housing. Two of the founding members, Dominique Walker and Misty Cross, were the moms who first moved into a house on Magnolia Street. Other members included Tolani King and Jesse Turner.

Vogue magazine reported that Carroll Fife’s husband, Tur-Ha Ak, helped keep things safe for the group and its supporters during protests. By February 2022, Dominique Walker and other moms were leading the group, even though Fife had been a main organizer at first.

501(c)3 organization and funding

In 2020, Moms 4 Housing became an official charity group. In 2023, it received $100,000 from the San Francisco Foundation. Starting that same year, most of its money came from this foundation, which has $1.9 billion in assets. The group also got $50,000 in 2023 from a settlement related to a case from 2021.

Mission

Moms 4 Housing believes that everyone should have a place to live, especially families and children who need homes. They think houses in the community should not stay empty when owned by companies, while people go without shelter. Their big goal is to take houses away from companies that only want to make money and give them back to the community.

After buying a house, the group fixed it up to help mothers who have nowhere to live. People who live there pay a small part of their income as rent and can stay for up to two years while they work on their finances. They also get help with things like talking to a counselor and planning their money. Bry'ana Wallace and her young son were the first to live there in December 2021. The group is working with another organization to help women find jobs and hopes to get more houses to help even more families.