Homeless Action Center

What Homeless Action Center does

Homeless Action Center (HAC) is a Berkeley, California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal aid organization founded in 1990 that provides no-cost, barrier-free public benefits advocacy to unhoused and disabled residents of Alameda County. The organization operates two walk-in offices in Oakland and Berkeley, an eight-person street outreach team that delivers services to clients in encampments, and a seven-bed Safe Haven transitional housing program called Almost Home in Berkeley. As of 2024, HAC employs more than 90 staff and runs an annual operating budget of approximately $13 million, serving roughly 1,800 clients per year — about one in five of Alameda County's estimated 10,000 unhoused residents.

HAC's core product is Benefits Advocacy: free legal representation from initial application through federal appeals for federal and state benefits including Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), General Assistance, Medi-Cal, Denti-Cal, and CalFresh, plus housing navigation. The organization reports an 83% win rate on closed SSI cases over six years and has represented more than 4,500 people in SSI matters during that period. Specialized programs include the Jail Project (SSI intakes at Santa Rita Jail), the HUD-funded Unsheltered Seniors Project targeting unhoused residents over age 55, and the Almost Home Safe Haven housing program offering up to 120 days of transitional housing. HAC has no proprietary technology platform; service delivery is human-intensive, supported by a basic WordPress website and standard email and donation tools.

The business model is grant and donation-funded rather than fee-for-service. Revenue streams include multi-year government grants (three-year HUD grant for the Unsheltered Seniors Project; California Housing and Disability Advocacy Program funding for housing navigators and Almost Home), foundation and corporate grants (e.g., Bayer Fund), and individual donations including monthly recurring, stock, and planned gifts. All services are free to clients under a harm-reduction model that does not require sobriety, sobriety screening, or appointments. Executive Director Pattie Wall has led the organization for over 25 years, and about 84% of clients are nonwhite, with roughly 55% identifying as Black or African American.

Name

Homeless Action Center

Legal name

Homeless Action Center

Website

https://homelessactioncenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Founded in 1990, Homeless Action Center is a Berkeley, California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free legal advocacy and housing support to unhoused and disabled residents of Alameda County, operating from two offices with 90+ staff and a roughly $13 million annual budget.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Aid / Public Benefits Advocacy

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422), Other Community Housing Services (624229)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Disability Rights & Accessibility Advocacy (BPAGAFAF)

Keywords

• Legal aid services
• Public benefits advocacy
• Homeless services
• SSI SSDI representation
• Nonprofit legal advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: HAC receives multi-year grants from government entities including a three-year HUD grant funding the Unsheltered Seniors Project, and California Housing and Disability Advocacy Program (HDAP) funding supporting housing navigators and transitional housing.
2. Individual and Corporate Donations: HAC accepts online donations, monthly recurring gifts, stock gifts, planned/legacy gifts, and donor-advised fund distributions. The organization is a 501(c)(3) with TIN 94-3123953.
3. Foundation and Corporate Grants: HAC receives funding from corporate giving programs such as the Bayer Fund, which awarded grants to HAC along with five other nonprofits.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Homeless Action Center provides free, barrier-free legal advocacy to help unhoused and disabled residents of Alameda County obtain federal and state public benefits including SSI, SSDI, General Assistance, Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and housing. Services are delivered through a drop-in clinic, an 8-person street outreach team, the Almost Home 7-bed Safe Haven transitional housing program, the HUD-funded Unsheltered Seniors Project, and a jail-based SSI intake project at Santa Rita Jail — all under a client-centered harm-reduction model that requires no appointments, no sobriety, and no screening.

Product overview

The Homeless Action Center is a nonprofit legal aid organization offering a portfolio of interconnected services focused on public benefits advocacy for unhoused and disabled residents of Alameda County. The core service is Benefits Advocacy, providing free legal representation to help clients obtain SSI, SSDI, General Assistance, Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and housing. This is supported by an Outreach Program that delivers services directly to clients in unsheltered locations, and Drop-In Services that provide walk-in brief services. The Almost Home Housing Program is HAC's first residential program, offering temporary Safe Haven housing (up to 120 days) while clients work toward permanent housing. The Unsheltered Seniors Project and Jail Project are specialized initiatives addressing specific populations (seniors 55+ and incarcerated individuals respectively). All programs operate through a client-centered, harm-reduction model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Almost Home: A Safe Haven housing program providing temporary housing (up to 120 days) for unhoused people in need of safe haven while being assisted in finding permanent affordable housing. Located at 2207 Haste St, Berkeley.

Products and services

• Benefits Advocacy Legal advocacy to help unhoused and disabled residents of Alameda County apply for and obtain federal and state public benefits including Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), General Assistance, Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and CalWORKs. Services are provided free of charge through free legal representation from application through federal appeals.
• Outreach Program Field-based services delivered to clients living in unsheltered locations including encampments. Staff help clients apply for cash aid, food stamps, and Medi-Cal, assist with obtaining identity documents, provide survival supplies, and offer housing navigation support.
• Drop-In Services Walk-in brief legal services available Monday through Thursday at HAC's Oakland and Berkeley offices, providing assistance to clients without requiring scheduled appointments.
• Almost Home Housing Program Safe Haven transitional housing program providing temporary housing for up to 120 days for unhoused people in need of safe haven while being assisted in finding permanent affordable housing. HAC's first residential housing program with 7 beds, operated in partnership with Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services and the Northern California Land Trust.
• Unsheltered Seniors Project Special initiative funded through a three-year HUD grant focusing on helping unsheltered seniors (people over age 55) access public benefits through a low-barrier model combining outreach, legal benefits advocacy, and housing navigation.
• Jail Project SSI benefits intake services conducted at Santa Rita Jail for incarcerated individuals being released, helping disabled people access benefits prior to release.

Quantifiable outcome

• 83% win rate on closed SSI cases over six years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Alameda County Behavioral Health Care ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlameda County Behavioral Health Care Services operates the Coordinated Entry system that selects participants for HAC's Almost Home Safe Haven housing program and refers high-need clients to HAC for SSI advocacy services.
• Northern California Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOwns the property at 2207 Haste St., Berkeley where HAC operates the Almost Home Safe Haven housing program. Previously occupied by Options Recovery Services.
• Home Stretch (Alameda County Coordinated Entry)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlameda County's Coordinated Entry agency that matches homeless individuals with available housing units. HAC housing navigators assist clients in accessing permanent affordable housing placements through Home Stretch.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bay Area Legal Aid: Bay Area Legal Aid is a regional legal aid nonprofit serving low-income residents across the Bay Area, including Alameda County. It offers public benefits advocacy (including SSI/SSDI), housing, and health law services—directly overlapping with HAC's core Benefits Advocacy and housing navigation work.
• East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC): EBCLC is a community law clinic in Berkeley that was HAC's original host organization (Berkeley Community Law Center) when HAC was founded in 1990. It continues to provide free legal services to low-income East Bay residents in housing, public benefits, and consumer law, making it both a parent-historical and direct service peer.
• Disability Rights California: Disability Rights California is the state's federally designated Protection and Advocacy organization for people with disabilities. It engages in SSI/SSDI representation, benefits advocacy, and impact litigation—closely paralleling HAC's disability-focused legal aid and appellate practice.
• Western Center on Law & Poverty: Western Center on Law & Poverty is a California public interest law and policy organization focused on public benefits, housing, and health care access for low-income residents. It conducts impact litigation and policy advocacy that closely align with HAC's appellate and benefits systems-change work.
• Inner City Law Center: Inner City Law Center is a Los Angeles-based legal and social services nonprofit serving unhoused and low-income clients with housing, public benefits, and wraparound services. Its combination of direct legal aid, outreach, and transitional housing parallels HAC's integrated model.
• National Homelessness Law Center: The National Homelessness Law Center is a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization that pursues impact litigation and policy reform on behalf of homeless Americans. It operates at a national scale where HAC operates locally, but both share a legal-advocacy approach to homelessness.

Regional players

• Public Law Center: Public Law Center is a pro bono and direct legal services nonprofit serving Orange County's low-income residents with public benefits, housing, and disability advocacy. Comparable in mission and service mix to HAC, but operating in a different Southern California geography.

Broad incumbents

• California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA): CRLA is a statewide legal aid organization serving California's rural and agricultural communities with public benefits, housing, and civil rights advocacy. It is a broader incumbent providing overlapping capabilities with HAC but at significantly larger geographic scope.

Emerging players

• Housing and Economic Rights Advocates (HERA): HERA is a California statewide legal services and policy organization focused on housing and economic rights for low-income residents, including benefits advocacy. It overlaps with HAC's housing navigation and benefits work but specializes in foreclosure/tenancy issues.

Others

• Alameda County Health Care for the Homeless: ACHCH is Alameda County's federally qualified health program for people experiencing homelessness, providing medical, dental, and behavioral health services plus housing navigation. It is an ecosystem partner to HAC, frequently co-serving clients in the county's homeless services continuum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Homelessaction1
• Facebookfacebook.com/homelessactioncenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Homeless Action Center