The Hayward People's Budget

Your Money, Your Choice

We are excited to execute Hayward's first participatory budgeting process. During this process, community members will submit and vote on proposals to increase community connections in their neighborhoods.

The process will run from September 2021 - December 2023. We have divided Hayward into six sectors for this process (scroll down to see the map). Each sector will have a budget of $50,000-$70,000, depending on the population and income level of the sector. There are no restrictions on the type of proposals, as long as the project connects neighbors and builds community. The proposals with the top votes get funded! 

Voting: May 1 - May 20

Any Hayward resident age 10 and older can vote. Voting will occur from May 1-20 in parks, at schools, and online. If you haven't already, sign up for the City's newsletter. We will keep you posted about how to vote and other upcoming opportunities. Click the button below to vote! Find out what sector you're in below. 

Vote!

Find Your Sector

The sectors below match census tract boundaries. We understand there are multiple neighborhoods in each sector. It will be up to community participants and voters to decide how best to allocate the funding to build community in the neighborhoods throughout their sector. The budgeted amounts are based on each sector's population and mean per capita income.

Look up the sector for your address

See a larger map

Contact your neighborhood delegates

Delegates are responsible for collecting ideas from their neighbors, gauging which concepts are the most feasible, creating proposals, and helping get out the vote. We look forward to working with you! You can also email community@hayward-ca.gov.

Project Timeline

TIMELINE

PROJECT ACTIVITY

September - October, 2021

Neighborhood Meetings and Delegate Recruitment: Join us at a City Hall to You meeting in your neighborhood to learn about things happening in Hayward and hear about the participatory budgeting process. 

November, 2021

Delegate Kickoff: During November we will host orientations and trainings to help your delegates conduct community outreach and draft proposals.

November 2021 - March, 2022

Brainstorming and Creation of Proposals: Suggest ideas for your neighborhood. Neighborhood delegates will conduct outreach to collect ideas for projects and gauge the interest level for each concept. They will then work with City staff to create project proposals that reflect community input and are able to be implemented in the timeframe. 

March 31, 2022Proposals Due - Contact your delegates above if you have ideas for a proposal
April 11, 2022Voting Guide Released

May 1-20, 2022

Community Voting: Residents age 10 and up will be able to vote in person at sites around Hayward or online. No registration or identification is needed. Voters will be required to sign an affidavit to confirm age and residency.

2022 and 2023

Project Implementation: The projects with the most votes will happen throughout 2022 and 2023. Each project will have a volunteer project lead or a team of leads. If you are interested in being a project leader, let one of your neighborhood delegates know (the list of delegates will be available in November).

Project Manager

Mary Thomas, Management Analyst, Office of the City Manager | Mary.Thomas@hayward-ca.gov | (510) 583-4227

Voting Guides

We will be adding more details about each of the proposals and how to vote in the coming weeks. In each sector, the top two voted projects will receive funding, and the next voted projects will receive any remaining funds.

Hand painting a line as part of a mural on the wall.

Community Mural Under 92 Overpass

This community mural is proposed for under the 92 overpass. This mural will serve as a medium of expression to bring together community members. Residents can contribute to the mural to celebrate their history and heritage, while beautifying the 92 Freeway's underpass. Community murals encourage a sense of excitement among residents that promotes further economic investment and developments in the surrounding area. This activity will tap into community talent while expanding the cultural offerings of the sector to create an environment where visitors and residents are proud to visit and live.

Note: This project would require approval from CalTrans. Alternative locations will be considered if we cannot obtain approval.

 

 

Photo of the play structure at Palma Ceia park.Palma Ceia Park Renovation

Community members have wanted upgrades to Palma Ceia Park for a long time. This project will work with the Hayward Recreation and Park District to install smaller upgrades, like park benches, play structure elements, or public art. Redevelopment of open spaces like parks serves as catalysts for revitalizing communities and neighborhoods. Focusing resources on improving shared spaces allows the community to have a safer space for children to play and residents to congregate and socialize. Therefore, the renovations would alter people's perceptions of their health and wellness, as they observe tangible improvements to their immediate surroundings. 

 

 

A crowd of people at night in a market with food and wares.510 Night Market

This project will create a pop-up open-air night market featuring local food and entertainment at Eden Shores Park. Night markets are defined as operating in available open spaces, such as parking lots or temporarily closed areas. Night markets generally reflect the neighborhood's unique cultural heritage, displayed via patterns of interactions, eating preferences, and leisurely activities of various ethnic groups. Night markets encourage youth participation in business, as they are considered as business incubators for aspiring entrepreneurs. Providing a venue for small business owners to grow is a net benefit for the local economy.

 

 

Photo of a flea market with clothes on a rack in focus while the rest of the background is blurry.Hayward Flea Market

This project would create a pop-up local flea market at Mt. Eden Park that could feature live music, local cuisine, animal adoption, and other services provided by community-based organizations. Free activities may include dancing, a petting zoo, a bounce house, and small carnival rides. Flea markets serve as essential spaces for local connection and local economic development. The relationships cultivated between sellers and buyers promote a sense of belonging, which is critical for residents to feel anchored within their communities. Establishing this perception is important as residents will feel more compelled to circulate their money within the local economy. 

 

 

Man working to remove a blue agave.

Hayward-Arandas Mural

This community mural will honor Hayward’s cultural connection to the City of Arandas in Mexico. It will mesh agave plants and incorporate other cultural landmarks that are regionally significant. This mural would be located on Tennyson Road. Community murals serve as a medium of expression to bring together community members. Murals allow residents to appreciate their surroundings and provoke dialogue by bringing together parties that would not collaborate under normal circumstances. This activity would tap into community talent, while expanding the cultural offerings of the sector to create an environment where visitors and residents are proud to visit and live. 

 

 

 

Photo of two Black people eating food they ordered from a food truck behind them. A Latino man smiles in the truck behind them.Street Food Bonanza

This food festival will allow local food businesses to compete with their most popular street food dish, where residents decide the winners. Free activities may include music and games. A street food event would serve as an essential space for local connection and economic development. The relationships cultivated between sellers and buyers promote a sense of belonging, which is critical for residents to feel anchored within their communities. Establishing this perception is important, as residents will feel more compelled to circulate their money within the local economy.

 

 

People doing exercise as a group in a park.Community Fitness Classes

This project would utilize the fitness space at Tennyson Park or multiple parks to offer free outdoor community fitness classes. Classes offered would include Yoga, Tai Chi, Zumba, and more. Classes would be held regularly, varying upon demand. Beyond the health benefits of engaging in regular physical activity, community fitness classes provide a sense of belonging. Participants would have an opportunity to gain exposure to unfamiliar activities while promoting residents to cultivate their own community-building networks. Community fitness classes encourage residents to take ownership of their physical health while meeting other like-minded individuals.

 

 

Photo of a flea market with clothes on a rack in focus while the rest of the background is blurry.Roller and Inline Skating Event

This project would establish a roller and inline skating culture activity in partnership with a local Hayward business, Avanta Boot Labs. Depending on the amount of funding received, this will be a pop-up or sustained, long term event. Part of the money will be used to surface and area for skating with colorful designs. The other part of the money will be for materials for skates that Avanta Boot Labs will assemble to donate to local youth. Local food vendors, restaurants or food trucks, will be invited to sell food, drink and treats during the event. Other vendors can be invited to sell crafts and skate gear. In addition, local DJs or musicians can be invited to provide music to liven the skate experience.

 

 

 

Crowd of people walking around booths at an outdoor fair.

StackFest

StackFest will be a monthly festival that will promote live music from local artists, cuisine from local restaurants, and a shifting central theme that emphasizes social justice and/or cultural celebration. The event will be organized by local youth and the theme will allow the organizers to practice outreach & mobilizing by connecting with community resources, artists, and vendors related to the theme. The event will incorporate speakers and community-based organizations that may provide resources or activities related to event themes. This event would serve as a space for community building, celebration, and local economic development. The relationships cultivated between vendors, artists, and residents promote a sense of belonging, which is critical for residents to feel anchored within their communities.

 

 

Spring Community BashSpring Community Bash

This would be a community event during spring break with various activities. Activities may include a local Olympics, a water balloon fight, dodgeball, and tug-of-war. This Spring Gathering would serve as a space for residents to promote local connection and local economic development. The relationships cultivated between residents and vendors facilitate a sense of belonging, which is critical for individuals to feel anchored within their communities.

 

 

Photo of a garage sale with a rack of coats, table of stuff, and a sign reading garage sale.Hayward Handy Helper Fair

Hosting a local garage sale event that would feature music and cuisine from local restaurants. This sale would take place at Kennedy Park. Community-wide garage sales are popular as they benefit sellers, buyers, and the environment. Sellers would profit from the high traffic of buyers scouting for deals. A local garage sale would serve as an essential space for local connection and local economic development. The relationships cultivated between sellers and buyers promote a sense of belonging, which is critical for residents to feel anchored within their communities.

 

 

On a chalkboard a circle of school supplies in the shape of a light bulb. In the center reads: back to school.Back to School Festival

A back-to-school festival to provide free school supplies to the sector's Hayward Unified School District (HUSD) students. This event would take place at Longwood Park. Students who attend with a parent/guardian will receive a backpack with school supplies, important HUSD back-to-school information, resources from local community partners, and other giveaways. Local sports teams, mascots, and cheerleaders would attend the event to promote excitement for the upcoming academic year. Free activities may include COVID-19 vaccinations, live music, and carnival games. This event would assist in diffusing economic and health disparities faced by youth in underserved communities.

 

 

Hands holding each other in a circleMental Health Camp for Teens

This Camp for Teens will offer a variety of activities that focus on building connections among Hayward youth, mentors, and counselors to address issues related to anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and stress.  Activities may include local meetups & outings, weekly support groups, 1:1 counseling, educational workshops, and/or an overnight camping retreat. The target age group will be 12-16 year olds, however the type and  implementation of activities will depend highly on the age of participants.

 

 

Photo of a refillable water bottle station in a park.

Water Bottle Filling Station

The installation of a public water-bottle filling station in the community. Most water-refill stations use high-performance filters that remove common contaminants such as chlorine and lead. Elkay, one of the leading water bottle filling station manufacturers, offers filtered water bottle filling stations that remove, on average, 99.3 percent of lead from drinking water. Providing free access to water also encourages healthy behavior and promotes environmental sustainability. In addition to lowering the loss of water and plastic, water bottle filling stations also can decrease air pollution. Over 50 billion barrels of oil go towards the production, transportation, and refrigeration of bottled water every year.

 

 

Photo of children making arts and crafts on a street.Homemade Art Fair

A community arts & crafts event at Weekes Park. Residents will be able to craft their artwork with supplies provided by the City. This event would allow residents to be exposed to the City's diverse cultures. In doing so, residents will acquire familiarity with different cultures, while practicing environmental sustainability. This activity may be used as a strategy for tapping into community talent, while expanding the cultural offerings of the sector to create an environment where visitors and residents are proud to visit and live.

 

 

Three people with laptops and notebooks looking at a raised bed of greens.Tennyson Community Farm

This proposal is to help incubate the Tennyson High School Community Farm as a source of locally grown food for immediate nourishment and resilience of the campus community The short-range goal of this project, which would to be accomplished within 1 year, is to offer an on-site farmstand with no-pay to sliding scale access to fresh fruit and vegetables for the neighborhood. The long-range goal is to optimize production and launch a farmers’ market in south Hayward.

 

 

A young latina woman tutoring a young Black girl.English and Math Tutoring for ESL Students

Free English (reading and writing) language and Math tutoring classes for English Second Language (ESL) students. Most immigrants who come to this country have a strong desire to learn to speak, read, and write fluently. It is a common misconception that many believe that our immigrant population does not want to learn English when coming to America. The advantage of offering such classes, whether free or not, is that our immigrants will have the opportunity to interact with native speakers and learn a new culture. Thanks to this mutual understanding, this proposal has a powerful effect on how we become better people and a more cohesive community.

 

 

Large wooden sculpture of kids hugging in the middle of a park

Sculpture in the Parks

The goal with this project is to create a sculpture in a local park that will depict the diversity of the neighborhood. This art piece can be the gateway to a neighborhood. It can create or enhance gathering places marking important areas and giving a strong first impression. The existence of Public Art in a community is a reflection that the community cares and invests in its quality of life.

 

(The sculpture pictured is an example only.)

 

 

Photo of Harder Road with the trail that needs to be renovated.Pop Up Community Garden

Community pop up gardens are places where people come together to grow a variety of vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers. These all help to relieve stress and increase wellness. Our community garden will consist of raised beds situated in our local park. Sharing a community garden gives people a chance to connect with their neighbors. Gardeners also feel more personally invested in the places where they live, gaining a sense of ownership and community spirit.

 

 

Watercolor illustration of an open space with a stage and a few tables.Tree Planting

Community tree-planting event that emphasizes teaching children the importance of environmental sustainability. Trees play a critical role for people and the planet. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the presence of trees and urban nature can improve people's mental and physical health, children's attention and test scores, and property values in a neighborhood. During the event, people will be taught how to plant a tree, use tools correctly, and have general conversations about the importance of biodiversity. This event is not just an opportunity for people to learn about trees, but also enables people to connect with their local community and gain practical, hands-on experience in tree planting and maintenance.

 

 

Photo of different countries' flags waving in the air. Multicultural Banners on Mission Blvd. & Block Party

This project will bring multicultural banners to Mission Boulevard. These banners will be rotated on a quarterly basis and will highlight the diverse population of Hayward. These banners will bring multicultural awareness, which involves a greater understanding, sensitivity, and appreciation of the history, values, experiences, and lifestyles of groups to our community. This allows our city to show pride in our diversity. The block party will give community members a space to share their customs and traditions of their diverse cultures. The event will be used to facilitate dialogue, create meaningful connections, and enhance understanding of all our different cultural backgrounds.

 

Photo of different countries' flags waving in the air.Old Highlands Homeowners Association Clean Up & Meet & Greet Lunch

This proposal would provide the Old Highlands Homeowners Association (OHHA) funding to host neighborhood cleanups. Cleanup activities will include morning work parties picking up litter, helping older neighbors move oversized items to the curb for disposal, and reducing junk in/near the roadway. A community lunch/meet-in-greet will follow cleanups. The primary objective of lunch will be to clarify questions regarding the OHHA street improvements and encourage the signing of the easements needed to allow street construction. These cleanups will keep the community engaged, develop local connections, and enhance neighborhood appearances.

 

Raised beds in a community garden.

Hazel Garden Community Connect

Movie Nights, Dog Park, Exercise or Hobby Classes? Yes, Yes, Yes! Host and attend free events right on Main Street in downtown. The Hazel Community Garden is open for you!  Our design includes a dog park, large stage with sound, projector and event kit all powered by solar! The half acre property currently has a dozen large raised gardening beds and a mixed fruit orchard.  Come make it your community space! For more information visit our blog!

See the full proposal

 

Photo of Harder Road with the trail that needs to be renovated.Harder Trail Renovation

This proposal would expand the walkable footprint of Harder Road to enable safer and more attractive trail ways for the community. Benches and landscape milestones (paying tribute to the area's history) could be added to encourage more profound knowledge and engagement with the history of this district, Hayward, and the Bay area at large. Trails allow us to get active while getting a dose of serenity and nature. This proposal improves people's physical and mental health. Trails are vital in urban environments where there is less opportunity for outdoor activity, leading to increased levels of depression and obesity.

 

 

Watercolor illustration of an open space with a stage and a few tables.Sun Gallery Community Space

Imagine a Makerspace provided to the community for creative pursuits, using new technologies such as 3D printers, a laser engraver, CNC router, screen-printing, vinyl cutter, LED electronics, crafted wood projects, a tool shop, and so much more! Outside of this creative space we'll upgrade our outdoor courtyard, bringing the community a café style experience where residents can enjoy a coffee, watch local musicians and performances performed on a newly built stage, as well as an outdoor workshop area! We are the Sun Gallery & Hayward Techies & Makers club. Building Community Through Creativity. Find out more at sungallery.org/makerspace

See the full proposal

 

Photo of people playing basketball and one person putting the ball in the hoop.

ReachOne Community Enrichment

This proposal is to conduct community youth enrichment events. The primary events would be a summer basketball tournament and a community concert. Other events may include a field trip and community mural. These activities will develop youth's personal growth by empowering them and endowing them with unique opportunities. This enrichment program will enable students to realize their potential in various settings beyond the classroom. Through these enrichment activities, youth will develop a sense of self-awareness and learn how to positively grow their interests and skills to have a more robust understanding of their potential.