Allen Temple Arms is a group of affordable senior housing communities with names like Allen Temple Arms I, Allen Temple Arms II, Allen Temple Gardens, and Allen Temple Manor, mostly in Oakland, California, but also in other parts of the state, all managed by HumanGood or Beacon Communities and developed by Allen Temple Development Corporation. The properties provide independent living, assisted living, memory care, and sometimes skilled nursing, with several options for low-income seniors age 62 and up and some for non-elderly disabled adults, with no minimum income required and rent based on 30% of income. Units come in studio and one-bedroom layouts, include cable-ready hookups, carpet, heaters, grab bars in bathrooms, and emergency call buttons. Kitchens have a stove, full-size fridge, and garbage disposal, and there's coin laundry onsite.
Residents will see things like a library, a community room for events, computer and copier access, a raised garden, outdoor patio with a BBQ pit, and a beauty salon, alongside accessible spaces, gated parking, designated spaces for smoking, and wheelchair-friendly apartments. The grounds have trees, flowers, and balconies, and apartments have lots of natural light. The main building is three stories and close to shops, freeways, churches, restaurants, and public transportation. There's a service coordinator who helps residents find medical and community support, plus regular events-coffee hours, support groups, produce giveaways, grocery shopping trips, massage sessions, and visits from a podiatrist. Staff organizes programs like Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, Streets Disciples street outreach, Prophetic Justice and Public Ministry, Boys' and Girls' Rite of Passage, and mission projects through Global Ministries. Ministries in health education, congregational care, and youth development also support residents and the local community.
Pets are allowed for a $250 deposit, with service animals following different rules, and a reasonable accommodation policy lets people make changes for accessibility with documentation. The building accepts various forms of payment, works with rental and deposit assistance programs, and pays utilities like electricity, heat, water, and garbage. Applicants must be 62 or older; there's a screening process with a credit and background check-no fee for the credit check-no cosigners, and no applicants with a recent eviction. The building's waiting list is open, but there aren't currently any open units. Allen Temple Arms has won awards for friendly staff and engaging activities, but its main draw is steady, supportive housing for seniors in a spot that's close to so much in the Oakland area, with staff and programs built around community, well-being, and safety, without making big promises it can't keep.
