Nonprofit housing organizations use Tribune against critics of renovation schemes

Nonprofit housing organizations use Tribune against critics of renovation schemes

By Lynda Carson March 20, 2009

Oakland -- During a recent March 10, Community and Economic Development Agency meeting (CEDA) and a March 17, Oakland City Council meeting, several poor, elderly and disabled renters appeared at the meetings and have spoken out against the $10 million major renovation plans that have targeted Oakland's poor, and will displace over 500 households from their housing in coming months.

In response to being exposed for their involvement in the renovation schemes that will displace hundreds of Oakland's poor from their housing, members of the local nonprofit housing organizations including Amie Fishman of the East Bay Housing Organizations (EBHO), came up with a scheme to use the Oakland Tribune to counter the recent complaints of the poor, elderly and disabled who are fearful of displacement and do not want to be forced out of their housing.

The nonprofit housing organizations were especially enraged recently about a few recent articles that came out expressing concerns for the poor, elderly and disabled, including one story called "Housing renovation funds may displace hundreds of families" by Lynda Carson, and another story called "Loans to affordable housing nonprofits appear likely despite tenant fears" by Sean Maher of the Tribune.

Alarmed by the favorable news coverage for those that were being unfairly targeted for displacement by the major renovation schemes being proposed, the local nonprofit housing organizations moved quickly to counter any dissent in the community, and focused on getting another story in the Tribune. One much more to their liking.

The scheme by Shawn Roland of (EBHO) and Mary Hennessy of East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation was to find a tenant that could be used as a stooge against the other tenants that were speaking out against the renovation displacement schemes, and they found Deborah Butler, a resident of Effie's House on East 19th Street, as someone that could be used as a pawn in their propaganda machine, to counter their critics.

In a March 19, e-mail further below that was sent out by a local nonprofit to other nonprofit housing organizations including some Oakland city officials such as Marge Gladman and Sean Rogan of CEDA, the nonprofits gleefully brag about how they used the Oakland Tribune and Cecily Burt to counter recent stories that they did not like, because the stories focused on the plight of those that are about to be displaced by the $10 million renovation schemes they are involved in.

See March 19, e-mail further below sent out among the nonprofit housing organizations, and click on the links to the articles called "Housing renovation funds may displace hundreds of families", and "Loans to affordable housing nonprofits appear likely despite tenant fears", to see what the nonprofits were so concerned about that they used the Tribune to counter those stories.


Housing renovation funds may displace hundreds of families

by Lynda Carson March 9, 2009

Click below for news story, and photos that have angered local nonprofit housing organizations...

http://www.sfbayview.com/2009/housing-renovation-funds-may-displace-hundreds-of-families/

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Loans to affordable housing nonprofits appear likely despite tenant fears
Sean Maher
Oakland Tribune March 10, 2009

Click below...

http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_11883008

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(This is the e-mail sent out by a nonprofit housing organization)

FW: Oakland's affordable housing stock gets $10 million upgrade
Thursday, March 19, 2009 10:53 AM
From:
"Lisa Motoyama"
To:
"Daniel Sawislak" , Slhindman [at] aol.com
Dan and Sally,

Here's a good rebuttal to Lynda Carson. Thanks. Lisa


Lisa Motoyama


RCD

510.841.4410x21

_____

From: Amie Fishman [mailto:amie [at] ebho.org]
Sent: Thursday, March 19, 2009 10:39 AM
To: Amie Fishman; Carlos Castellanos; Cathy Craig; Charise Fong; Christia Mulvey; Daniel Sawislak; Diana Downton; Elissa Dennis; Ener Chiu; Eve Stewart; James Vann; James Wong; Janet Howley; Jeffrey Levin; Joel Tena; Karoleen Feng; Kathryn Kasch; Linda Mackey; Lisa Motoyama; Lynette Lee; M Chao; Marge Gladman; Mary Lucero-Dorst; Maryann Sargent; Megan Horl; Neil Bruce Saxby; Phil Lawson; Sean Heron; Sean Rogan; Susan Friedland; T Clarke; Patricia Osage; Millicent Anglin; Robert Stevenson; Jennifer Chiang; Katherine Saviskas; Shawn Rowland; Sam Tepperman-Gelfant; Mary Hennessy (E-mail); Joel Rubenzahl
Subject: Oakland's affordable housing stock gets $10 million upgrade


Hey folks,

We got a better article this time. Thanks to Shawn and EBALDC for door knocking with residents, and to Karoleen and Janice for identifying the resident quickly to call Cecily at the Tribune in time for the story.

Thanks all,

Amie


Oakland's affordable housing stock gets $10 million upgrade


http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_11944944?source=rss

By Cecily Burt
Oakland Tribune

Posted: 03/18/2009 06:54:07 PM PDT

Eight low-income apartment buildings, including four abandoned by a nonprofit organization, will receive $10 million worth of much-needed upgrades to make the units more habitable.

The Oakland City Council unanimously approved the loans Tuesday night and reassured residents who had worried that they might be displaced during renovations.

Any relocation would be temporary, and the relocation costs would be borne by the developer, said Marge Gladman, city housing manager, in response to a question by Councilmember Nancy Nadel (Downtown-West Oakland), who said some of her constituents had raised the concern.

Gladman said tenants will be moved back when the work is done.

The money will come from a combination of federal funds and the city's tax increment funding.

Deborah Butler, a resident of Effie's House on East 19th Street, said the work couldn't start too soon for her.

She was told she wouldn't have to move while the work is being done.

"The building needs some serious, major work," she said, ticking off a list that included upgrades to paint, appliances, outlets and pipes, among other things. "My (front) door has shifted so I can see the outside light when it's closed. I had to move my bed away from the windows because the air (and water) came in."

East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation will receive $1.26 million to renovate Effie's House, as well as $1.1 million for the Hugh Taylor House on Seminary Avenue and $1.9 million for Slim Jenkins Court on Willow Street.

Resources for Community Development will receive $840,000 for the Drachma Housing Project complexes in West Oakland, $1.65 million for the Eldridge Gonaway Commons Project on Third Avenue, and $1.2 million for the Marin Way Court Apartments on International Boulevard.

Affordable Housing Associates will receive $1.1 million for the Oaks Hotel project on 15th Street, and the Unity Council will receive $540,000 for the Posada De Colores Apartments on Fruitvale Avenue.

"These buildings have been around 20, 30 years and need work," said Amie Fishman, director of East Bay Housing Organizations. "These are really stable properties and communities."

The money used on buildings owned by Oakland Community Housing Inc. will help the city transfer ownership of those properties to other stable nonprofit housing developers, Fishman said.

"The city is putting aside resources, and the nonprofits are stepping up and saying they will take those on," she said.


--
Amie Fishman
Executive Director
East Bay Housing Organizations
538 9th Street, Suite 200 | Oakland, CA 94607
P: (510) 663-3830 E: Amie [at] EBHO.org
http://www.EBHO.org