Dear Russell City community members and interested parties, 

We are writing to provide an update on some recent news you may have heard. The Hayward City Council and Alameda County Board of Supervisors have come together to establish a Russell City Redress Fund to make amends to former Russell City residents who had property seized for redevelopment during the 1960s. 

Since the announcement of this action on Thursday, July 10, seed money committed to establish the fund has grown from an initial amount of $900,000 to a total of $1.1 million, including $250,000 from the City of Hayward and $850,000 in pledged funds from the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. The City’s contribution is an outgrowth of the Hayward Russell City Reparative Justice Project. The County contribution is coming from district office funds from Supervisors Elisa Márquez ($400,000), Nate Miley ($250,000), David Haubert ($100,000) and Nikki Fortunato-Bas ($100,000). 

This partnership between the City of Hayward and Alameda County to establish the Russell City Redress Fund is a concrete step to further acknowledge the lasting harm associated with redevelopment of the then-unincorporated Russell City. During the period, approximately 700 parcels of Russell City land were acquired and approximately 1,400 residents of the multi-racial, multi-ethnic Russell City community were displaced. 

The objective is to make direct payments to Russell City residents who had property seized for redevelopment. Details related to eligibility requirements, amounts of potential payments and administration of the fund will be announced by the City of Hayward on Tuesday, Sept. 2. The City and County are committed to seeking additional funding for the fund, including from other public agencies, philanthropy, and the business community. 

For further information and to receive updates, former Russell City residents who had property seized and descendants are invited to contact the City of Hayward’s Office of the City Attorney at (510) 583-4455 or email michael.lawson@hayward-ca.gov. For additional updates, go online here to the City of Hayward website.