Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency

BOSS is a nonprofit social justice organization that is committed to ending mass homelessness, mass incarceration and community violence: we help people achieve health, housing, safety, stability, and full socioeconomic inclusion no matter what barriers they face. BOSS operates programs across Alameda County, California - from shelter and housing to education, training and employment programs to violence prevention/intervention and community healing to health and mental health initiatives. BOSS believes that those closest to the problem are closest to the solution: over 50% of staff (80% in reentry programs) have lived experience and are expert peer mentors and agents of change. Our programs are divided into three core strategies:

HOUSING SECURITY: Emergency shelters, permanent housing facilities, rental assistance, housing search/placement support, and housing retention support.

WELLNESS & EMPOWERMENT: Multidisciplinary services for individuals and families (primarily people of color) impacted by systemic inequity including incarceration and criminal justice system involvement - health/mental services and trauma response, violence prevention/intervention and neighborhood outreach, education, training and employment services, safe neighborhood events, and more.

SOCIAL JUSTICE: Changing the root causes of inequity through collaborative advocacy/organizing, leadership development, civic engagement and voter education.