Oaklands 2 Tiered Eviction Proposal Gets Sidetracked

Oaklands 2 Tiered Eviction Proposal Gets Sidetracked
By Lynda Carson 3/27/01

Oakland Ca--Oaklands Community and Economic Development Agency ( C.E.D.A ), met at City Hall this morning to hash out the proposal for a 2 tiered eviction proposal that would continue the Eviction For Profit System in Oakland. Despite attempts by the Mayors Office to push for the 2 tiered eviction system, neither renters nor landlords supported the proposal. In a tie vote on two
occaisions during the meeting, Council Members were in
a stalemate, and nothing in the staff proposals passed.
Some Council Members wanted a Just Cause to be enacted,
others did not want Just Cause nor more staff for the Rent Board, and one tried to end the Moratorium on rent increases after evictions. They are to meet in 2 weeks to try again, to find some common ground. Few expectations have been offered.

In a quote from James Vann of E.B.H.O., and Oaklands
Tenants Union, he states that it\'s no surprise as to the outcome of the votes. Mr. Vann goes on to state that renters were not surprised by the actions of Council Members Spees who during the meeting tried to end the 2
Year Moratorium on rent increases after evictions. Mr Vann, a long time activist in support of Oakland renters,
ended his presentation today before the Council Members
by stateing that Just Cause will prevail. Mr. Vann was not
surprised by todays outcome.

Additional quotes from Andrew Wolff of Just Cause
Oakland who also is a Board Member of Oaklands Rent Board, states that he believes that it\'s a waste of time
to play games with Council Members that never intend to pass a Just Cause Evictions Measure. Mr. Wolff states that
in order for some Council Members to act as though they are concerned, the Council Members order the staff to conduct further studies. One Council Member today hid behind the charade of the Decent Housing Taskforce, claiming that he does his share to protect renters. Meanwhile, the eviction for profit system goes full steam ahead.

Indeed that seems to be the perception of renters
who are aware of the Decent Housing Taskforce of Council Member DeLaFuente\'s. In a case of image over substance there\'s been a number of allegations in recent times from renters claiming that the landlords got all over them after the Decent Housing Taskforce made a media event out of visits to their residence owned by slumlords. In highly staged media events, the Decent Housing Taskforce goes out among the renters of the City of Oakland to make an example out of bad landlords. Great for image, but without a Just Cause Evictions Measure in place, it usualy ends up with a trail of evictions within the year from angry landlords that end up taking it out on the renters. By then the Decent Housing Taskforce is long gone, and disappear when the renters need help the most. This same scenario occured on 38th Ave in Oakland near Foothill Blvd, to a number of renters that complained about a slumlord running a Section 8 Rent Scam on them.

Besides the usual suspects showing up at todays event such as Pro-Landlord Lawyer Susan Luten of Berkeley, who knows that in Oakland she can get away with things not allowed in Berkeley, there was an impassioned plea from a young woman nearly in tears desperately trying to explain to the Council Members the terror of having a merciless landlord on her back. Time up was the reply. Holly Fincke of Just Cause Oakland, carried her message very well, as did a staffer of B.O.S.S. also in support of a Just Cause Measure. A mix of pro-renters versus pro-landlords one by one stepped up to the podium to make their case, with only one assurance from the meeting. Times up! None of the pro-landlord forces were in tears about the state of affairs for their side, nor did one expect such since non of them face prosecution for refusing to comply with Oaklands 2 Year Moratorium on rent increases after evictions.

Mayor Jerry Brown does not want to run against a Just Cause struggle in Oakland during his re-election campaign. Todays outcome means that Mayor Jerry Brown
is on notice that the renters of Oakland were not fooled by the overtures to support the 2 tiered eviction proposal pushed by his office. They want Just Cause.