Our Mission AND Vision

Nurturing Vibrant Communities one ripple at a time

Mission

Jacana is dedicated to building strong communities by providing affordable housing, ​offering supportive services, and engaging in advocacy to influence housing policies. ​Our holistic approach helps low-income individuals and families achieve long-term ​stability and self-sufficiency. We have a specific equity focus on BIPOC communities ​(Black, Indigenous, People of Color), and justice-impacted individuals. We aim to ​create safe, supportive, and inclusive housing environments that foster a sense of ​community and improve overall well-being in nurturing spaces where people feel a ​connection to local land and Nature.

Vision

We are part of a global collective rooted in compassion, empathy, and indigenous ​knowledge. At Jacana, we envision pathways through affordable housing that ripple ​through the communities we serve, cultivating thriving, culturally and economically ​diverse communities. These communities will offer quality education, job training, ​and opportunities, with safe spaces where youth and adults gather, celebrate, play, ​and dream together. We see a future where our formerly incarcerated daughters and ​sons are embraced and reintegrated, contributing to the vibrant, interconnected ​ecosystems we help to build.

MANAGEMENT TEAM

Ben Nurse

Executive Director

Board of Directors

Rosalyn Green

Board President

Ron Glover

Board Vice President

Ayori Selassie

Board Member

Mary K. Paul

Board Secretary

Advisory council

Anastacia Wyatt

Housing Manager

Comprehensive Support for ​Sustainable Living

The Challenge

The high cost of housing in regions like Monterey County and Alameda County has ​created a severe crisis. In Monterey County, 14,038 low-income renter households face ​challenges in finding affordable homes. In Alameda County, the crisis is even more ​pronounced, with 58,904 low-income renter households lacking access to affordable ​housing. Renters of color are disproportionately burdened, with many paying more ​than 50% of their income towards housing.

Housing and the Wealth Gap

The wealth gap in the United States is closely tied to homeownership, with European ​American households having significantly higher net worths than BIPOC households. ​This disparity is rooted in historical discriminatory policies by the Federal Housing ​Administration (FHA) and mortgage banks. Jacana aims to directly address this ​generational wealth gap by providing affordable homeownership opportunities to low-​income families.

Jacana’s Strategy/Solution

Our strategy involves acquiring existing apartment buildings and hotels at costs ​significantly below new construction prices and converting them into affordable ​condos, townhomes, and cooperative housing. This innovative approach will enable ​extremely low-income and workforce-level buyers to purchase homes at prices that ​require no more than 30% of their income. Deed restrictions, utilizing community land ​trusts (CLTs) and shared-equity models, would ensure these properties remain ​affordable for the long term.

Reentry Housing

We provide housing and supportive services for individuals ​reentering society after incarceration. Our reentry programs focus ​on helping participants secure stable housing, find employment, ​and reintegrate into their communities.

Affordable Housing Development

We focus on acquiring and renovating existing hotels and apartment ​complexes to convert them into affordable homeownership options.

Homeownership Assistance

Wealth Building: We guide low-income BIPOC community members ​in creating generational wealth via homeownership.

Housing Counseling: We offer services to help individuals and ​families find and maintain stable housing.

Supportive Services

Supportive Services: Our services include mental health support, ​substance abuse assistance, and workforce development.

Advocacy and Policy Work: We actively work to influence housing ​policies at the local, state, and national levels.

Workforce Development: We provide opportunities for our clients to ​improve their skills and earning potential.

Get in Touch

We’d love to hear from you! Whether you’re interested in learning ​more about our programs, partnering with us, or supporting our ​mission, we’re here to help.

Contact us today to learn more about our programs, services, and how you can get ​involved.

Phone: 831-224-0625

Email: info@jacana.org

Support Jacana’s Mission

First-Year Strategy

Our pilot project will take place in Oakland, California, and will serve as a prototype for broader initiatives. Our ​initial project will involve acquiring an apartment building in Oakland with up to 10 units. The project budget ​includes $3,000,000 for acquisition and $1,000,000 for renovations. This prototype will allow us to refine our process ​and establish relationships with local government agencies, attorneys, HOA management firms, and other ​essential partners.

Why Jacana

With the depth of knowledge and experience in the Jacana team, we bring many perspectives to creatively disrupt the usual approaches to ​addressing the lack of affordable housing. With the varied skillsets of our team coupled with the generosity of community partners, together we can ​provide these affordable housing opportunities to our Monterey County and East Bay neighbors.

Why Now

With dozens of apartment buildings being offered for sale to afford default, it’s a rare opportunity to take these properties out of the speculative ​market, provide homeownership opportunities for low-income first-time buyers, and lock in the affordability for many generations to come.

Why You, the Donor

We invite you to support Jacana as part of your commitment to advancing racial equity and housing stability. Your donation will do more than just ​fund affordable housing; it will drive systemic change that addresses the racial wealth gap head-on. By investing in Jacana, you are empowering ​low-income and BIPOC communities to achieve homeownership, helping to fulfill your mission of promoting equitable, sustainable housing for all. ​Your partnership will enable us to create long-term solutions that resonate with your goals and make lasting impact.

levels of Support

Affordable Community

$3M, provide 10 homes to individuals or families.

Affordable Home

$400K, provide one home to an individual or family.

Preparing a Home

$100K, renovate one home.

down payment assistance

20% Down, 10% Down.

Management Team

Ben Nurse, Executive Director

Ben Nurse is a seasoned professional with over three decades of experience managing people, projects, resources, and budgets in ​residential and commercial real estate. His career has been marked by successful partnerships with leadership, stakeholders, cross-​functional teams, government staff, and a diverse range of customers, vendors, contractors, and subcontractors. Ben has a proven ​track record of completing multiple projects simultaneously, consistently on time, within budget, and in compliance with regulations.

Throughout his career, Ben has managed institutional-grade investment assets, overseeing projects across a diversified portfolio of retail, office, ​industrial, and multifamily real estate valued at over $426 million. His experience includes complex commercial renovations involving major tenants ​like Home Depot, Starbucks, Walmart, Target, Medtronic, and FedEx. Ben has also managed apartment complexes catering to seniors, low-income ​families, and college students, skillfully supervising contractors in multiple states and collaborating with building officials and other government staff. ​His ability to calmly manage projects in challenging environments, such as during heavy storms in Jensen Beach, Florida, Oxford, Mississippi, and ​Salem, Oregon, is a testament to his expertise. Additionally, Ben brings the perspective of an investor, having successfully completed renovation ​projects for resale.

Ben's experience extends into the public sector, where he served as the Housing Manager for the City of Seaside, CA. In this role, he co-managed the ​City’s General Plan update process, handled the Housing Element state reporting and revision, and contributed to developing and implementing the ​City’s affordable housing goals and policies. Ben's collaboration with housing, homeless services, and planning staff across Monterey County ​highlights his commitment to community upliftment and housing affordability.

Ben has also been instrumental in developing visionary proposals for repurposing blighted and underutilized assets. Notably, he developed a ​proposal to convert an underperforming 80,000 sq. ft. waterfront office complex into 126 affordable housing units for hospitality and service ​employees in the City of Monterey. As Housing Manager, he prepared proposals and concept plans for two Seaside City-owned sites, resulting in ​building plans for 16 and 22-unit 100% affordable condo projects. Additionally, Ben prepared a mixed-use development proposal that aimed to ​implement Seaside’s long-standing Downtown Specific Plan. The project includes 131-262 housing units, a 110-120 room hotel, retail uses, a parking ​structure with 541 spaces, and multiple revenue sources for the City. The Plan includes repositioning of an underused City-owned one-acre Public ​Works site.

Committed to long-term housing affordability and economic empowerment, Ben initiated and negotiated property purchases for affordable housing ​developments in Seaside. He collaborated with the City Manager to introduce the concept of a Seaside affordable housing Community Land Trust, ​helping to draft its bylaws. This initiative has since led to the incorporation of the Seaside Housing Collaborative nonprofit, furthering the City’s ​commitment to affordable housing.

Ben Nurse's extensive experience in both the private and public sectors, combined with his innovative approach to housing development, enables him ​to effectively promote sustainable, affordable housing solutions and drive community revitalization efforts.

Board of Directors

Rosalyn Green, Board President

Seaside native Rosalyn Green was recognized as Democratic Women of Monterey County’s 2023 Extraordinary Civic Leader. For more ​than 35 years, she has been a leader of activism, advocacy and organizing to end systemic racism, anti-blackness, and gender ​inequities. As part of the Seaside Faith-Based Community, she has been unrelenting in building partnerships and pooling resources to ​strengthen community and decrease economic disparities; to these ends, she founded the Monterey County Black Caucus and co-​founded the Monterey County Black and Brown Solidarity Coalition. She serves as Building Healthy Communities (BHC) Director of ​Regional Black Power Building and Justice Reinvestment.

She was appointed by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors as District 4 Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights Commissioner and as an ​uncontested candidate to serve as Monterey Peninsula College District Trustee, and recently served as Chair. Ms. Green is deeply vested in capacity ​building, youth support, leadership development, and public policy initiatives. She is Vice-Chair of the California Community College Black Caucus, ​Executive Education Chair for NAACP Monterey County, and is a member of several Statewide Coalitions for Education and Anti-Blackness. She also ​organized The Village Project, Inc. Parent Advisory Council, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District (MPUSD) African American Parent Advisory ​Council, and Salinas Union High School District African American Advisory Council. Also, she is the Board Chair of Ladies First, a mentoring program for ​“Girls of Color”.

Ayori Selassie, Board Member

Ayori Selassie is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and Senior Solution Engineer at Salesforce. She is also Creator of the Life Model ​Canvas. With over 17 years of IT and consulting experience, Ayori has become a trusted adviser, delivering exceptional results across ​multiple roles. After finding success in Product Management, where she contributed to the development of the #dreamjob application ​portal, she transitioned to the Sales team, becoming a top revenue contributor.

Ayori is passionate about mentoring and empowering women in STEM, having served as a mentor with the US State Department’s TechWomen ​program for three years. She has traveled to countries like Jordan, Palestine, and Israel to support women and girls in technology. At Salesforce, she’s ​a leading volunteer and organizer, spearheading initiatives like the first Hackathon on Black Male Achievement in Oakland and the Essense Festival's ​YesWeCode Hackathon.

Ayori is also the founder and President of Boldforce, an Employee Resource Group for African and African-American employees at Salesforce, and ​Pitch Mixer, an entrepreneurial forum connecting diverse entrepreneurs in Oakland to venture capital. Her most notable success story from Pitch Mixer ​is Diishan Imara, founder of Mayvenn, who went on to raise $10 million in venture capital.

Known for her eye for talent and ability to bridge opportunities, Ayori has won hackathons and even developed a video game for the Jim Henson ​Company. Her ambition is to pursue executive leadership, supported by plans for graduate studies in business.

Ron Glover, Board Vice President

Ronald Glover has been a driving force in entrepreneurship and real estate since 1985, shaped by his family's deep roots in managing ​and developing multi-family apartments on the Monterey Peninsula. This early experience provided him with invaluable insights into ​property development and management.

In 1988, Ronald became a co-owner of a gas station franchise, and by 1992, he expanded his expertise as an assistant manager overseeing a diverse ​portfolio, including apartments, a laundromat, a restaurant, and commercial offices. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to launch a laundry and dry-​cleaning service in 1998, specializing in the hospitality industry.

Since 2014, Ronald has focused on property management, specializing in multifamily, single-family, and commercial properties. As a senior partner ​at Echo Plaza Investments and Glover Enterprises LLC, he manages company revenues, assets, financials, budgets, and capital investment forecasts. ​He also oversees capital improvement projects, works closely with contractors, and maintains strong business credit lines.

Ronald is dedicated to building solid relationships with financial institutions, preparing yearly financial statements, and managing asset acquisitions ​and liquidations. His collaboration with commercial and real estate brokers reflects his commitment to housing and community upliftment.

Mary K. Paul, Board Secretary

Mary’s land stewardship and conservation journey began growing up amid the vibrant wilds of New York City and Long Island, where ​she first developed a passion for open spaces. Her early volunteer experiences at the Central Park Zoo and the Brooklyn Botanic ​Garden in the late 1990s and early 2000s sparked a deep appreciation for nature. In 2005, a spontaneous decision led her to apply for ​and secure a Seeds of Success internship with the Student Conservation Association. This opportunity brought her to the breathtaking ​landscapes of Monterey Bay, CA, and set the stage for a career devoted to land stewardship, conservation, and community building ​and engagement.

Mary’s professional path has been marked by diverse and impactful roles: as a Conservation Associate with the Bureau of Land Management at Fort ​Ord National Monument, a Senior Resource Aide with California State Parks in the Monterey District, and the Stewardship Manager at the local non-​profit, Watsonville Wetlands Watch. Currently, she serves as the Stewardship Specialist at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve. ​Since 2005, she has been immersed in managing a variety of land stewardship projects and fostering community engagement and connections to ​Monterey Bay’s unique habitats. She is inspired by her growing understanding and deep appreciation for the region’s resilient and adaptive ​ecosystems—from coastal dunes and estuaries to woodlands, forests, chaparral, and wetlands. In her free time, she loves to wander through the ​landscapes and waterscapes she finds herself in.

Advisory Council

Anastacia Wyatt, Housing Manager, City of Monterey; Former Community Development Director,

City of Pacific Grove

Anastacia Wyatt is the Housing Manager for the City of Monterey. Anastacia has worked in Housing and Community Development for ​over 25 years. She graduated from Occidental College in Los Angeles with a double major in Environmental Studies and English and ​Comparative Literary Studies. She graduated from Middlebury Institute of International Studies with a Master’s Degree in ​Environmental Policy. She has a second Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction for Middle School and High School Math and ​Science. She has taught in Sweden, Korea, Arizona, and California, and worked in Community Development in California, Arizona, and ​New Mexico as a consultant and worked in multiple jurisdictions in Monterey County. Anastacia lives in Pacific Grove with her family. ​Anastacia is excited to support housing initiatives in the community, especially ensuring low-moderate income people are uplifted ​and served in the City’s programs.

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