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OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 4, 2026—The Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously today to approve a formal agreement with the City of Hayward to jointly administer a Russell City Redress Fund for the benefit of residents who had property seized during redevelopment of Russell City.
The Board also voted unanimously to authorize the Alameda County Auditor-Controller to issue redress payments on behalf of the Redress Fund to eligible recipients consistent with guidelines and an application process being finalized over the next few weeks pursuant to the agreement between the two local government agencies.
“The approval of this agreement and authorization to issue redress payments is an historic moment and reason for solemn celebration,” Alameda County District 2 Supervisor Elisa Márquez and Hayward City Councilmembers Angela Andrews and Julie Roche said in a joint statement. “It took time, but we’ve reached key milestones toward being able to begin making payments and making amends for harm done to Russell City community members.” Márquez, Andrews, and Roche have come together to form the Russell City Working Group and will guide implementation of the agreement.
The initial focus of payments will be on aging Russell City residents whose properties were taken in the mid-1960s by eminent domain.
The Russell City Redress Fund is an outgrowth of the Russell City Reparative Justice Project, initiated by the City of Hayward in June 2022 to determine appropriate restitution for inequitable treatment of Russell City residents who were displaced and had property seized for redevelopment by Alameda County and eventual annexation into the City of Hayward.
The Redress Fund Working Group surveyed former Russell City residents and descendants to gather feedback and input on eligibility criteria for redress payments.
Today, the Russell City Redress Fund stands at $1.3 million—with contributions totaling $950,000 from the County of Alameda, $250,000 from the City of Hayward and $100,000 from the Alameda County Office of Education.
As the Redress Fund Working Group works to finalize the application process—including documentation requirements and payment amount ranges—it has set up a telephone number, (510) 272-6684, and email address, russellcityredress@acgov.org, for former Russell City residents, family members and descendants to ask questions and sign up to receive updates.
In addition, the Working Group will hold in-person office hours to answer questions and provide Redress Fund application support on select Thursdays at Hayward Public Library’s Downtown Library, 888 C Street, starting on Thursday, Aug. 20, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on select Thursdays and Saturdays at the Library’s Weekes Branch, 27300 Patrick Avenue, starting on Aug. 22, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
