With one of the largest national intertribal American Indian urban populations, the Native American Bay Area community first opened the Native American Health Center (NAHC) to meet the healthcare needs of an increasingly underserved population. Since 1972, the NAHC has become one of the oldest and largest Urban Indian Health Programs in the country. Today, the NAHC serves over 14,000 people every year through a network of clinics in the Bay Area, providing services such as primary medical care, comprehensive dental care, and community wellness services.

The NAHC has identified Oakland’s Fruitvale district, where 3% of neighborhood residents live in poverty, 84% of local families with children receive food assistance, and only 29% of the total population receives Health Center Program (HCP) coverage, as an underserved community to target its services. Along with Bay Area community leaders, the NAHC began plans for construction of a new Fruitvale location and meet the needs of Fruitvale.

Capital Impact Partners, in partnership with Community Hospitality Healthcare Services, LLC, provided $21.5 million in NMTC financing to support the Center’s construction of a 14,000 sq. ft. health and cultural facility in Fruitvale. Broadstreet Impact Services, through its Propel Fund, served as the NMTC investor.

In addition to the new health center, NAHC collaborated with Satellite Affordable Housing Associates (SAHA), to use Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) financing to build 76 affordable residential units. The resulting five-story mixed-use development also includes a large 300-person capacity cultural community center.

The NAHC expects the health center to serve 10,000 individuals per year, provide 20,000 additional annual visits, and create/retain 47 new long-term jobs for the Bay Area community. Made possible with Capital Impact Partners’ NMTC allocation, the NAHC broke ground for the project in March 2024, and plans to open the facility for services in Winter 2025.