Homeless Action Center (HAC) – Free Public Benefits Advocacy for Unhoused and Disabled Residents in Alameda County
The Homeless Action Center (HAC) is a trusted, community-based nonprofit organization committed to providing free, high-quality legal advocacy and public benefits support to unhoused and disabled individuals in Alameda County, California. Since its founding in 1990 as a small storefront in Berkeley, HAC has grown into a robust, mission-driven organization with a diverse staff of over 90 attorneys, advocates, and support professionals working to uplift some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

HAC’s primary mission is to help clients secure and maintain stable income and health care coverage—critical steps that lay the foundation for long-term housing stability and improved quality of life. Through compassionate, client-centered legal services, the Homeless Action Center helps individuals navigate the often-complex public benefits system, ensuring they receive the resources they are legally entitled to.

HAC’s team of skilled attorneys and advocates specialize in Social Security and disability-related benefits, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI). Recognizing that housing insecurity is deeply intertwined with financial instability and healthcare access, the organization also assists clients in applying for and maintaining additional essential services such as General Assistance (GA), CalWORKs, CalFresh (food stamps), and Medi-Cal.

By removing legal and bureaucratic barriers, HAC empowers individuals to access lifesaving support systems while they work toward securing safe, affordable, and permanent housing. Clients often include people experiencing chronic homelessness, individuals with physical and mental disabilities, immigrants, families living in poverty, and others marginalized by systemic inequities.

What sets HAC apart is its unwavering commitment to equity, dignity, and justice. The organization operates on the belief that access to income, healthcare, and housing is a human right—not a privilege. Through its offices in Berkeley and Oakland, the Homeless Action Center continues to expand its reach and impact, advocating for lasting solutions to homelessness and poverty at both the individual and policy levels.Homeless Action Center continues to expand its reach and impact, advocating for lasting solutions to homelessness and poverty at both the individual aHomeless Action Center c

Whether providing one-on-one legal representation or fighting for systemic change, the Homeless Action Center remains a pillar of hope, empowerment, and legal support in Alameda County’s fight against homelessness.