We Are Mission Driven
OCCUR is committed to creating capacity building opportunities to support the well-being, economic development and civic inclusion of marginalized communities.
Focused on the Economic Development of Low Income-People of Color
OCCUR serves as a facilitator and catalyst bringing together neighborhood residents, merchants and government to strengthen and stimulate the economic development potential of emerging communities". Over its more than 65 year history, OCCUR has consistently served as a community “watchdog” agency and has honed its strategic effectiveness in serving the interests and improved quality of life for low-income youth, residents, and families.
Our History
OCCUR was founded in 1954 at a time when the City of Oakland, CA was transforming from a mid-sized working-class community to one of the country’s most complex and diverse cities which came with all of the issues related to urban renewal. This transformation included all of the issues linked to increased urban migration, emerging poverty, new demands for social services and affordable housing. The Oakland Citizens Committee for Urban Renewal (OCCUR) was dedicated to monitoring Oakland’s transformation into a new urban melting pot with all its big city challenges, and the need to develop Oakland’s neighborhoods with Federal resources and programs. OCCUR’s founding members were convinced that Oakland needed an independent organization that was prepared to confront emerging poverty, urban blight and increased migration by populations of color.