It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through the summer. This month’s newsletter highlights a few exciting updates: we unveiled a bold new three-year strategic plan with a 10-year vision, advocated for housing rights at a recent town hall, and visited a flourishing garden at one of our housing sites.

We hope you enjoy reading more about these milestones. As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts, let us know what you enjoy and what you’d like to see more of by emailing us at info@insighthousing.org.

Three Year Strategic Plan Launched

Our new three-year strategic plan is official and ready for public eyes. Staying true to our mission to ensure everyone has a home through supportive and sustainable housing solutions, we’ve outlined four key priorities for the next three years: 

1. Expand Real Estate Development Capacity and Portfolio 
2. Balance Geographic and Programmatic Impact with Financial Resilience 
3. Broaden and Refine Insight’s Policy and Advocacy Voice 
4. Strengthen Insight’s Infrastructure and Talent Systems 

These four priorities will help define the value to participants, funders, and partners in the seven counties we currently serve. This aligns with our 10-year vision, which is to expand access to stable, permanent homes across at least seven Northern California counties.

Insight's All Staff Gathering

Earlier this week, we held our summer All-Hands meeting at the Hope Center in downtown Berkeley, where many of our 215 team members gathered to launch Insight Housing’s new three-year strategic plan and ten-year vision. Our CEO reflected on the incredible growth we’ve experienced over the past six years, the impact we have made across our communities, and how we will continue advancing our mission to end homelessness with clarity, purpose, and urgency.

Insight Staff on the back patio of the Hope Center in Downtown Berkeley

Flourishing Garden at our Russell Street Residence 

Summer veggie season is kicking off with budding veggies in our Russell Street Residence backyard garden. We stopped by this month for a visit and found that the garden is full of squash, zucchini, tomatoes, mint, corn and more. Residents in the housing program plant and tend to the garden, growing food which is later used to make community meals. Pictured below is Kierre White, a Resident Advocate for Insight Housing, who plays a large part in keeping the gardens healthy and happy. Kierre also helps plan the meals depending on what produce is thriving. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or BlueSky to see the garden continue to grow! 

Resident Advocate Kierre gardening at Russell Street Residence

Advocacy at Alameda County Town Hall

This week, Insight Housing staff and participants attended the Alameda County Board of Supervisors Town Hall to urge the County to allocate Measure W funds toward housing and homelessness services that directly support our community. Four participants from our programs, Patrice, Marylin, Jack, and Steve all came out to support and advocate. Marilyn and Patrice delivered powerful remarks to the board and elevated the voices of those with lived experience. 

We urged the county to put at least 90% of Measure W funding towards homelessness solutions, prioritize people with lived experience in the operation and oversight of this funding, transform homelessness systems positively, and set countywide standards for effective care services. Insight Housing, along with many similar organizations in the area, are facing state-level funding cuts, meaning Measure W funds are crucial for continuing the fight to solve housing insecurity in the Bay Area.  

Want to help us make sure Measure W funds are allocated appropriately? Contact your elected official here and voice your support for 90% of Measure W dollars towards homelessness services. You can also read more about Alameda County Town Hall and Measure W here. The Board of Supervisors will take a formal vote to implement this direction at a special meeting on Tuesday, July 30 at 10:00 am.

Marilyn, Lakeesha Lewis (Case Manager), Patrice, and Stacey Burmaster (Regional Director) at the Alameda County Board of Supervisors Meeting