Q&A with Patricia Wells, Executive Director of Oakland Housing Authority (OHA)
June 4, 2026
One of Eden Housing’s core philosophies is that ensuring access to affordable, high-quality housing is most effective when organizations work together toward the shared mission. That approach has led to a long-standing relationship with Oakland Housing Authority, the largest provider of affordable housing in Oakland, with whom Eden currently has five projects in various stages of development.
Recently we caught up with Patricia Wells, who joined OHA in 1998 and has served as Executive Director since 2019. Her background in the affordable housing sector is vast: Prior to joining OHA, she served as the Associate Director for Habitat for Humanity International – West Region, and the Senior Policy Coordinator and Analyst as a Mayoral appointee with the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs in Washington D.C.
During this period, she also began cultivating relationships with government and industry leaders, as well as community-based organizations, that have grown to enable the type of life-changing services and programs through which OHA clients benefit. That work, in part, has led to her involvement in the affordable housing industry’s largest advocacy group, the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO), where she has been active in association governance, including as National Senior Vice President.
We talked with Patricia about how OHA is evolving to meet the needs of today’s communities, along with its top priorities in the affordable housing space and why it champions partnerships with organizations like Eden Housing.
How has OHA’s role evolved over the years to meet the changing housing needs of Oakland residents?
The role of Oakland Housing Authority (OHA) has continued to evolve alongside the changing needs of Oakland residents, shifting housing challenges, and an evolving regulatory and statutory landscape. While providing stable, affordable housing remains at the core of our mission, our work today also includes preserving existing affordable housing, supporting resident services, advancing economic mobility, and building partnerships that connect housing with health, education, and opportunity.
Over the years, OHA has expanded its focus on long-term community stability — investing in the preservation of affordable housing across Oakland’s neighborhoods, supporting resident self-sufficiency through workforce development and economic opportunity, creating pathways to homeownership, and leveraging the flexibility of our Moving to Work (MTW) designation to pilot innovative programs tailored to local needs.
As Oakland continues to change, our goal remains the same: helping to ensure residents have access not just to housing but to the resources and support needed to thrive.
What recent initiatives or partnerships best reflect OHA’s approach to supporting Oakland residents and strengthening communities?
As the executive director of OHA and on behalf of the Board of Commissioners, one of the things I’m most proud of is OHA’s continued commitment to innovation and partnership in response to the evolving needs of Oakland residents. As housing challenges have become more complex, OHA’s work has continued to evolve through strong partnerships with city, county, healthcare, nonprofit, and community organizations focused on improving quality of life for Oakland residents both within and beyond our housing communities.
One example is Building Bridges: Hospital to Home (H2H), an innovative partnership between Oakland Housing Authority, Alameda Alliance for Health, and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. The program helps connect Alameda County families leaving neonatal and pediatric intensive care with stable housing and supportive services, reflecting a growing understanding that housing is healthcare and that stable housing can improve long-term outcomes for children and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
OHA has also expanded partnerships focused on neighborhood stability, digital access, and community well-being. Through a partnership with the City of Oakland, OHA is helping transition properties with existing free internet service to fiber infrastructure to improve long-term connectivity for residents. OHA also partners with the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) on neighborhood beautification efforts that support formerly incarcerated workers while helping address illegal dumping and improve conditions in Oakland neighborhoods seven days a week.
At the same time, OHA continues collaborating with city, county, and state partners to advance affordable housing preservation and production efforts across Oakland. Across all of this work, our focus remains the same: creating pathways to stability, opportunity, and stronger communities for Oakland residents.
Affordable housing remains one of the most pressing challenges facing the Bay Area. What are OHA’s top priorities in this space, and how do partnerships with organizations like Eden Housing support that work?
OHA’s priority is to preserve and expand affordable housing opportunities while helping ensure Oakland residents can remain connected to the communities they call home. That includes protecting existing affordable housing, supporting the development of new communities, investing in resident services, and creating pathways to long-term housing stability and economic mobility.
Addressing the Bay Area’s housing challenges requires strong partnerships, which is why collaborations with organizations like Eden Housing are so important. Through both new development and preservation efforts, these partnerships help expand access to affordable housing while ensuring communities remain connected to opportunity, services, and neighborhood resources.
Projects like 2700 International and Brighter Bancroft reflect that shared vision. At 2700 International, Eden Housing and The Unity Council are partnering to deliver much-needed permanent supportive housing, including for veterans experiencing homelessness through the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program. OHA is contributing 19 project-based VASH vouchers and a $3.8 million development loan to help bring the community to life and connect residents with the resources they need to thrive.
At Brighter Bancroft, Eden Housing, OHA affiliate California Affordable Housing Initiatives (CAHI), and the Black Cultural Zone are partnering to create more than 91 new affordable housing units for seniors. Designed for universal accessibility and located near major public transportation, the development also includes community gathering and programming spaces that will help foster connection, wellness, and neighborhood engagement for both residents and the surrounding community.
These developments are about more than housing units — they are long-term investments in resident well-being, economic opportunity, and the future of Oakland communities.
When you think about the people OHA serves, is there a success story that reminds you why this work matters?
One of our most rewarding outcomes is when former residents return to OHA as employees and leaders within the organization. Today, we have staff across the agency — including within the Executive Office — who once participated in OHA programs or lived in OHA-supported housing.
Those stories reflect the long-term impact stable housing and supportive services can have on families and communities. Affordable housing is not just about meeting an immediate need. It can create the foundation for education, employment, leadership opportunities, and long-term stability.
I’m also proud of OHA’s homeownership initiatives, which have helped nearly 130 families become homeowners in one of the most expensive housing markets in the country, while making an average income of $51,370. In a region where the cost of housing continues to place tremendous pressure on working families, those milestones are powerful reminders that access to affordable housing and opportunity can help residents build brighter futures for themselves, their children, and their communities.
Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, what do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities facing OHA, and what makes you most hopeful about the future of affordable housing in Oakland?
Like housing agencies across the country, OHA continues to navigate a changing housing and funding landscape while working to meet the growing need for affordable housing in Oakland. Maintaining long-term funding stability is important because it helps support ongoing investments in affordable housing, resident services, and community development.
At the same time, OHA’s Moving to Work (MTW) designation creates important opportunities for innovation. The flexibility provided through MTW allows us to develop local solutions, pilot new approaches, and respond more effectively to Oakland’s unique housing challenges. That flexibility is currently authorized through 2038, and we remain hopeful that programs like MTW will continue to play an important role in the future of affordable housing.
What gives me the most hope is the strength of Oakland’s affordable housing community and the shared commitment to collaboration across sectors. Addressing today’s housing challenges requires partnership among public agencies, nonprofit developers, community-based organizations, landlords, the business community, and residents themselves.
Through strong collaboration with city, county, and state partners — along with organizations like Eden Housing and many others — OHA is helping advance innovative, community-centered approaches to affordable housing while ensuring residents remain at the center of the work.