October 16, 2025 6:30PM

Seen primarily through the eyes of women and children of color living through housing insecurity in California’s Alameda County, A RISING TIDE aims to identify how and why homelessness occurs.

The film juxtaposes the perspectives of various stakeholders affected by the “affordable-housing industrial complex,” capturing the adversity faced by homeless families in Oakland and exploring the plight of service providers and social workers on the frontlines of the housing crises.

In the Bay Area minimum wage employment doesn’t afford families—particularly those of color—the basic necessities for raising their children in decent housing with childcare, food, transportation, and adequate health care. The consequences of this deprivation increase wildly when homelessness is prolonged due to systemic failures and policy-based deficiencies.

The film highlights the historical context that has directly caused and continues to exacerbate the demographics of segregation in California.

Ultimately, A RISING TIDE aims to shift the narrative, challenging a commonly held misconception—including by some professionals working on affordable housing solutions—that unhoused individuals are all addicts or suffering from mental health issues. It also asks what considerations should be addressed to serve the unhoused when cities and counties are planning new housing.

93 minutes

Audience discussion following the film with a local  panel to be announced soon.