Tracked Issues
Editorially curated live civic issues linked to meetings, organizations, statements, and news.
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The "Education City" Vision — Cal State East Bay, Chabot & a Civic Reinvention • Featured
active • Education
Last activity: Jun 22, 2026
Hayward's most distinctive long-term civic bet is its ambition to become the Bay Area's premier "Education City" — a community identity built around the remarkable concentration of educational institutions within and adjacent to city limits…
Housing Production & the Mission Boulevard Corridor — 4,624 Units by 2031 • Featured
active • Housing Affordability
Last activity: Jun 22, 2026
Hayward has taken a more proactive approach to housing production than many East Bay cities — but meeting its 4,624-unit RHNA obligation by 2031 still requires sustained execution. Along the Mission Boulevard corridor from South Hayward to …
District Elections — A Historic Democratic Transition • Featured
active • Governance, Elections, and Civic Process
Last activity: Jun 22, 2026
Hayward is undergoing a landmark governance change that will reshape who holds power at City Hall for decades. Responding to concerns raised under the California Voting Rights Act, the Hayward City Council in 2024 approved a switch to a dis…
Homelessness — A 21% Decline and a Model Worth Protecting
active • Homelessness
Last activity: Jun 22, 2026
Hayward is one of the genuine East Bay success stories on homelessness — and that success is now financially vulnerable. The January 22, 2026 point-in-time count recorded a total of 404 people experiencing homelessness in Hayward, down 21% …
Structural Budget Deficit — Cuts, Layoffs & a $22 Million Federal Funding Risk • Featured
active • Budget priorities
Last activity: Jun 22, 2026
Hayward's most urgent challenge is a structural deficit that has been years in the making and is only partly resolved. Mayor Salinas identified the main causes of the budget deficit as paying for overtime, new programs and services, saving …
November 2026 Elections — A Board Reshaped by June's Results • Featured
active • Governance, Elections, and Civic Process
Last activity: Jun 16, 2026
Alameda County's political landscape is being reset by a combination of June 2026 primary results and November 2026 general elections that will determine the Board of Supervisors' direction on every major issue. Incumbent District 2 Supervi…
Homelessness Funding vs. Incarceration — The Ongoing "Care First, Jails Last" Debate • Featured
active • Homelessness
Last activity: Jun 16, 2026
Alameda County adopted a "Care First, Jails Last" resolution in 2021 committing to prioritize behavioral health and social services over incarceration — a principle that is now being tested by every budget decision the county makes. The ten…
Santa Rita Jail & the Behavioral Health Crisis — Federal Oversight Continues • Featured
active • Mental health
Last activity: Jun 16, 2026
Santa Rita Jail — the fifth-largest county jail in the United States — remains under federal court oversight following a landmark settlement over the treatment of people with mental disabilities. The Babu consent decree placed the county un…
Homelessness — A $33–60 Million Federal Funding Hole • Featured
active • Homelessness
Last activity: Jun 16, 2026
Alameda County's homelessness response is one of the most ambitious in California — and it is now facing a potentially devastating federal funding reversal. HUD announced it will limit funding for permanent housing programs that prioritize …
The $91.4 Million Budget Gap — Closed for Now, Fragile Going Forward • Featured
active • Budget priorities
Last activity: Jun 16, 2026
Alameda County is navigating one of the most significant budget challenges in its recent history — and a near-miss was averted largely thanks to voter-approved local revenue. The Board of Supervisors was presented with a $6.7 billion budget…