HOUSING
Impact is in our DNA
"Growing up in my family, if you weren't helping to solve some of the world's problems, you were a part of the problem"
- Riaz Taplin
Solving the Bay Area Housing Crisis
3,000+
People housed in our
buildings in 2022
$73K
Average Income of
our residents
32%
Affordability Score
of our buildings
33%
Ratio of Rent to Income
for our Buildings
For the Bay Area to thrive, it's important that middle-income professionals find housing that doesn't force a compromise in their quality of life. Our micro-living model provides stylish, premium-quality housing in convenient urban locations, with amenities, and at affordable prices.
Our Resident: Essential to Communities
The Missing Middle: Who they are? How have they been ignored?
As it pertains to housing, the term "missing middle" is often used in reference to small, contextual multifamily buildings. At Riaz Capital, we understand the missing middle as the largest overlooked demographic group impacted by the housing crisis: single, moderate-income professionals. These individuals — who have aged out of the roommate market but do not have the means to purchase a home or rent a luxury apartment — are hard-pressed to find housing that meets their needs. That's where we come in.
Our Solution:
Convenience
Amenities
Bike Ride
Amenities
Premium Quality Design
Aesthetics
Checklist
Low Price
High Density,
Low Parking
Advocating for housing creation and accessibility
Housing policy has not kept up with changing America.
The housing crisis in America is a major threat to the lives of our urban professionals. As of the end of 2021, reports indicate that America currently has a shortage of 5.24 million homes, and construction is at its slowest pace since 1995. To help remedy this, we will need sweeping policy changes to help encourage housing production.
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Legislation: Density drives Affordability
California Density Bonus
What is the California Density Bonus?
The California Density Bonus Law is a powerful tool that allows developers to increase the density of multifamily projects by offering certain units to varying levels of affordability.
Why we support it
The Density Bonus Law allows us to build up to 50% more units than the zoning regulations permit. This increased density allows us to further reduce our residents' rent.
How we use it
By designating certain units to varying affordability levels, we can remove costly parking structures, unused outdoor space and unnecessary setback requirements. By doing this, we can build more housing and do so at a lower cost.
Efficiency-Unit Legislation
In January 2022, the City of Oakland passed an ordinance to promote cost-efficient construction and expand housing options. By doing so, the City established density and open space regulations for Efficiency Dwelling Units. As opposed to Regular Dwelling Units, Efficiency Dwelling Units mandate half of the size requirements and therefore allow for twice the number of units on a development project.
We are utilizing this legislation in our mid-rise apartment projects to increase their affordability.
Our Partnerships for Advocacy and Impact
SPUR
With equity, sustainability, and prosperity as its goals, SPUR is a leading civic planning and public policy think tank, credited with creating the BART system and changing California zoning laws to redress the housing crisis. Riaz Taplin is an engaged board member of SPUR, and his company's focus on affordable housing and urban infill has helped to advance SPUR's comprehensive solutions for the Bay Area.
IRC
The International Rescue Committee works tirelessly every year to help millions of refugees escape the worst humanitarian crises. One crucial part of that effort is to help refugees resettle and rebuild their lives in safer places. Riaz Capital has partenered with the IRC to provide homes for dozens of these individuals without any guarantees of payment from the IRC, and it has provided jobs for many of them as well.
Oakland City Government - TRIO program
The Teachers Rooted in Oakland program (TRiO) is a privately funded partnership between the City of Oakland and the Oakland Unified School District designed to improve the recruitment and retention of teachers in Oakland. TRiO does so by minimizing the housing costs for new student teachers through a combination of privately funded stipends and reduced-priced housing. Riaz Capital is doing its part to get Oakland's next generation the good education it deserves by providing some of that reduced-priced housing.
Sustainability
Impact is in our DNA
"Growing up in my family, if you weren't helping to solve some of the world's problems, you were a part of the problem"
- Riaz Taplin
Sustainability
Real Sustainability, not Misleading Metrics
Housing density and location are the main determinants of environmental impact.
295
Sq. ft.
per resident
92%
Walk Score of
our Buildings
88%
Bike Score of
our Buildings
75%
Transit Score
of our Buildings
Density Drives a Lower Carbon Footprint
LEED's standards may be well intentioned, but they miss the sustainability mark. The two biggest factors in determining the environmental impact of a building are simply its size and location. At Riaz Capital, our buildings outperform LEED certified buildings because they have less square footage per occupant and they are built in existing urban centers. This minimizes materials for construction, energy for operation, and impact on open spaces.
Convenience without Cars
Our acquisition strategy targets sites along major transit corridors or in proximity to public transportation hubs. We also partner with ride-share providers like GetAround to provide on-demand rentable cars for daily needs. We make it as convenient as possible for our residents to live a vehicle-free life.
Conscientious Construction
We build as sustainably as possible. That means avoiding concrete and steel. Study after study confirms that wood frame buildings have a much smaller carbon footprint than concrete and steel frame buidlings of the same size and function. The University of Washington estimates that wood gives a 26.5% reduction in overall carbon footprint compared to concrete and steel. This figure accounts for the removal of carbon sequestering organisms (trees) from the ecosystem. Simple wood framing also allows us to build faster, resulting in fewer labor costs and less waste.
Energy Use
Our buildings are all-electric, with no gas.
We use solar to supplement the utility supply of electricity.
Urban Impact
Impact is in our DNA
"Growing up in my family, if you weren't helping to solve some of the world's problems, you were a
part of the problem"
- Riaz Taplin
Together We Thrive:
Celebrating Maika’s Make-a-Wish Mural at the ArtHaus Jack London Launch Party
Why not make our cities as beautiful and functional as possible, so that residents feel revitalized by these remarkable engines of economic growth?
At Riaz Capital, we understand that economic and cultural vitality are inextricably linked. This is why we work tirelessly to create highly functional yet aesthetically appealing buildings that enhance the welfare of the community as a whole.
To that end, we instituted an arts program that commissions local artists to create murals and other artworks for our buildings. By going beyond functionality and financial accessibility, the Riaz Capital Arts Program creates beautiful buildings that reflect the cultural vitality of the communities we serve.
Our Historic Preservation and Renewal Projects
Rose on Bond
Rose on Bond
Once a church and schoolhouse set among fruit orchards in the 1930s, this long-neglected architectural gem has been given new life by Riaz Capital. After a meticulous renovation, The Rose on Bond was restored and transformed into a collection of 60 apartment suites that surround a secluded courtyard. At Riaz Capital, we want to demonstrate that we can preserve our history while addressing tomorrow's housing needs. As the restoration and transformation of The Rose on Bond shows, sometimes it just takes is a little imagination and determination.
Artthaus Studios
Artthaus Studios
Artthaus Studios is home to an array of community-oriented small businesses, entrepreneurs and local artists. Originally the H.G. Prince Cannery in 1916, this sprawling 100,000+ sq. ft. complex finally fell into disrepair after surviving for decades as the last remaining cannery in Oakland's industrial district.Now, it exemplifies urban revitalization. Under Riaz Capital, it has been extensively renovated into 37 artist lofts, 49 studios, and four floors of office space, attracting some of the Bay Area's most diverse direct-to-consumer small businesses. The entire exterior of the building was reimagined by two local artists whose murals reflect the novel creative ethos inside.
We Practice Urban Infill, not Sprawl
The hollowing out of the middle class and the emergence of the climate crises occurred as our cities sprawled outward instead of growing upward. When we don't fill existing urban centers with affordable housing, this severely limits the supply of housing in areas of economic opportunity. It also exacerbates our environmental impact.
When we level open spaces to meet housing demand, this eliminates the carbon sequestration these spaces would otherwise do. Moreover, when we opt for more square footage per capita, we use more materials and energy. Likewise, one of the simplest ways we can mitigate wealth inequality and climate change is urban infill aimed at the densification of affordable housing.
This is why Riaz Capital focuses on developing highly functional yet stylish homes at an affordable price in areas of greater economic opportunity.
Linden
Linden
MLK
MLK
Hannah Park
Hannah Park
Before
After
The Riaz Capital Art Program
Funding public artworks with our buildings as the canvas
Support local arts, cities as a destination for the arts, and urban revitalization. 0.5% of construction cost goes towards commissioned work that is designed into the building. Oakland requires it for >100 unit buildings, but we are doing it for all. Subtle form of branding for RC buildings, making them recognizable
Our Buildings : Art Spaces
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What the Artists Say
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Richard DavisLiving with Art
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Marina AlbertARTTHAUS Studios : Our Offices and a Shared Creative Hub
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"The art on our buildings is uplifting not just for the resident inside, but for the neighborhood, the local art community and the entire city"
Riaz Taplin, Founder & CEO, Riaz Capital
Artists we have partnered with
Community
Impact is in our DNA
"Growing up in my family, if you weren't helping to solve some of the world's problems, you were a part of the problem"
- Riaz Taplin
Goodness is the only investment that never fails.
-Henry David Thoreau
Riaz Capital is committed to serving both its customers and the wider community as effectively as possible. Without a comprehensive approach to service, a lasting impact is impossible.
Urban Ed Academy
Riaz Capital and Urban Ed Academy are proud to announce a partnership to provide beautiful new construction apartments to Black teachers in the Bay Area. The partnership will initially house 10 teachers in Oakland, with additional housing placements to come.
Teachers Rooted in Oakland (TRiO)
Riaz Capital partners with the Oakland Unified School District to provide housing for student teachers at a reduced cost. This eliminates the biggest obstacle new teachers would otherwise face — the high cost of housing — as they begin their careers in education.
IRC - International Rescue Committee
In 2015 Russ Taplin, one of the founders of Riaz Capital, reached out to the International Rescue Committee to provide homes and jobs for Syrian refugees fleeing a brutal civil war. The Taplins ultimately helped 26 families — from Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Uganda — resettle in the United States by providing Riaz Capital apartments without any guarantees of payment from the IRC, and by finding jobs for individuals from 12 of these families.
Riaz Capital Arts Program
To ensure that tenants feel at home in our buildings and that local artists get the chance to revitalize their communities, we began the Riaz Capital Arts Program, which allocates a small portion of all construction budgets to commission murals and other artworks from local artists for our new buildings.
The Posse Foundation
Principal & Founder, Riaz Taplin is an engaged board member of The Posse Foundation, a nationally recognized nonprofit with an exceptional track record of identifying, sponsoring, and mentoring students who show the ability and drive to become tomorrow’s leaders.
Oakland Public Education Fund
Riaz Capital has a strategic partnership with the Oakland Public Education Fund which aims to ensure that Oakland’s public schools get the financing and volunteer support they need to help Oakland’s next generation flourish.
OAKLAND PROMISE
Riaz Capital helps fund Oakland Promise, a comprehensive cradle-to-career support program designed to break the cycle of poverty for children of poor families in Oakland. Our Principal & Founder, Riaz Taplin is also a governing member of Oakland Promise’s board of directors.
SPUR - San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association
Principal and Founder, Riaz Taplin is an engaged board member of SPUR, a Bay Area public policy research and urban planning think tank credited with creating the BART system and getting major pieces of densification legislation written into law. From a love of the Bay Area and a sense of responsibility to its communities, Taplin has worked with SPUR to shape and advance impactful urban policy.
American India Foundation- AIF
Riaz Capital supports the American India Foundation, which is committed to fundamentally improving the lives of underprivileged women and children. Principal and Founder, Riaz Taplin has been involved in AIF’s work for 20 years and became an engaged member of AIF’s board of directors in 2021.
We are proud to support these worthwhile organizations and causes.
