Priorities - Board of Supervisors

Housing & Homelessness

"I believe we are facing a true "State of Emergency" - and cities and counties must step up and do more to fight homelessness, together, by prioritizing the issue of housing first, ahead of everything else."

Tackling this issue is one of my top priorities. I believe in a coordinated approach to address homelessness and housing. Taking a housing first approach - paired with social services - as a regional strategy, opens the door to an array of quick housing solutions and sets the stage for a collective theory of change. I'm committed to ensuring that the County as the safety net provider is doing everything it can to help our most vulnerable and that housing dollars are getting out onto the street as fast as they need to be. Fighting homelessness and the affordable housing crisis is everyone's fight.

Supervisor Miley with surveying homeless encampment

Supervisor Miley at a homelessness event

Illegal Dumping

"Illegal dumping knows no boundaries! This is a regional issue that affects the quality of life, public health, safety and the psyche of communities."

In 2019 my office launched a cross-sector partnership, known as the Alameda County Illegal Dumping (ACID) Pilot, to address illegal dumping at some of the worst dumping hotspots in Oakland. Our goal, in partnership with local governments, private businesses, non-profits, and community groups, was to identify successful strategies for addressing illegal dumping that could be replicated and scaled throughout the city, county, state, and beyond. The ACID Final Report identifies six such strategies, and outlines the success these strategies have had at addressing this issue. Download the report today to learn more!

I have created a regional Illegal Dumping Taskforce to combat this issue from a three-pronged strategy approach to reduce and prevent illegal dumping: Education, Eradication and Enforcement. Organizing community clean ups and mattress recycling collection events are just a few of the ways I'm working to push my county-wide initiative Communities United to Remove Blight initiative (CURB). My goal is to implement local ordinances and fight for greater enforcement of statewide illegal dumping laws.

Supervisor Miley with mattresses raising awareness on illegal dumping

Supervisor Miley sweeping the street, raising awareness on illegal dumping

Supervisor Miley surveying garbage on side of road, raising awareness on illegal dumping

Violence Prevention

"Violence Prevention isn't just about stopping violence, it's about building strong, resilient communities that are thriving, where individual needs are met, and violence is no longer viable."

For many years, I have led the Alameda County Violence Prevention Initiative, which has focused on place-based interventions in the Castlemont, Sobrante Park, and Eastmont neighborhoods. More recently, we have begun the harder, systems change, work that is needed to support the real change in our communities. We are building violence prevention into our County structure in impactful and exciting ways, by bringing together the Alameda County Social Services Agency, Healthcare Service Agency, Probation Department, and County Administrators Office to support the work at a systemic level.

Supervisor Miley raising awareness on violence prevention

Community Development

"Uplifting our unincorporated communities isn't just a matter of problem-solving or programming - it's matter of justice."

Urban unincorporated communities have unique issues related to governance, representation, and the delivery of municipal services. Because they are governed by a county board of supervisors rather than a mayor or city council - local representation is advisory only (to the board of supervisors) and their input into the county's budget is limited. The urban unincorporated communities of Ashland, Cherryland, Fairview, Castro Valley and San Lorenzo include a range of socio-economic conditions - from affluence to the highest poverty rate in Alameda County. Through two important initiatives, the Eden Area Livability Initiative (EALI), and the Ashland Cherryland Healthy Communities Collaborative (ACHCC), several important changes in the urban unincorporated communities are coming to pass:

EALI is addressing issues of governance and increased self-determination through the creation of the Fairview Municipal Advisory Council, the soon-to-be Eden Municipal Advisory Council (for the communities of Ashland, Cherryland, San Lorenzo and Hayward Acres), as well as important changes in how these communities are addressed in the County's budget.
In addition, the ACHCC is actively addressing issues of economic development, walkability and community engagement. For example, in the area of community engagement, for the first time, more than 140 residents of Ashland, Cherryland, San Lorenzo and Hayward Acres came together to build power through the development of a new community organization. The My Eden Voice! Campaign seeks to develop grassroots leadership to address inequities in the area of affordable housing, economic development, parks & open space, and jobs for youth.

Organizing residents through these initiatives as just a few of the ways I am working to address inequities in the county's urban unincorporated communities. My goal is to bring residents, business, county agencies and local nonprofit organizations together to fight for greater representation, collaboration, and uplifted communities.

Seniors

"My goal for Alameda County is to promote successful aging and provide opportunities to push for crucial services needed for our senior community."

My mission is to promote successful aging by pushing for critical services needed for Alameda County seniors. I made a commitment to focus on advocacy, safety, and community engagement for seniors in the early days of my political career, and have maintained that focus ever since. In 1986, I founded the United Seniors of Oakland and Alameda County (USOAC), dedicated to empowering older adults to improve their quality of life on their terms. In 2012, I led a successful effort to create and pass the county's first Safe Drug Disposal Ordinance in partnership with the Alameda County Medication Education Safety Coalition (MEDS), the first of its kind in the nation. Since then, many counties have adopted a similar model, including: San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Marin, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles counties. In 2018, USOAC celebrated the 15th annual Healthy Living Festival (HLF), one of the largest free health resource fairs for seniors. There, seniors are encouraged to mobilize and lobby political leaders to champion new investments in aging services. It is my honor to have established this lasting, local tradition for seniors, and we look forward to many years to come.

Supervisor Miley speaking with seniors of Alameda County

Cannabis

"The War on Drugs was a failure and I'm committed to promoting diversity and inclusion to ensure fairness and access to new cannabis programs, jobs and training opportunities."

Prop 64 was passed by California voters to establish a legal, taxed and tightly regulated system for medical and adult-use cannabis. This is a unique opportunity to create jobs, encourage innovation, and increase revenue for local government. I will continue my leadership around Cannabis Education Youth and Adult Awareness (CEYAA) and my work with community leaders, law enforcement, health educators and industry experts.

Supervisor Miley giving a talk about Cannabis at the Garden of Eden

Supervisor Miley giving a presentation to the Alameda County Cannabis Stakeholders group