Help Tenants on 74th Avenue secure safe, habitable housing

Last month, a police raid took place at 2755 74th Avenue. The police knocked down doors, discharged teargas, detained residents, and destroyed safety gates and window locks. This is the same building where a shoot out occurred between Oakland police and Lovelle Mixon that left many dead and injured. Since taking over the property in July of this year, Tamalpais bank has been negligent and irresponsible. In addition to the gunshots, deaths, injuries, teargas discharge, and widespread property destruction by the S.W.A.T. team, there are numerous habitability issues including water leaks, roof damage, mold, and other heath risks and safety hazards. Despite a written commitment from Tamalpais Bank, to this day, critical repairs have not been made and the remains unsafe.

St. Peters Housing Committee, with the support of Just Cause Oakland, has been working with families from the building to fight for the justice that they deserve in this matter. Due to public pressure and tenant advocacy, the tenants were placed in a motel for three weeks, paid for by Tamalpais Bank. However, the situation has become more urgent and time is running out for the tenants. Today (October 22), the residents are scheduled to be put out the hotel they have been staying at since the raid and have no permanent housing. Some of the residents are looking into shelters or may have to move out of Oakland.

Your support for the tenants is critical. We ask you to do the following:

Email and call Tamalpais Bank’s CEO Mark Garwood and tell him that you are outraged by this situation and urge him to show leadership by 1) Providing immediate short term housing for all of the tenants. 2) Commit to working out a long-term resolution to ensure safe, habitable, and stable housing for all of the tenants of 2755 74th Avenue.

Contact Mark Garwood, CEO & Chairman Tamalpais bank, (415)454-1212 ext. 14586 or (415)526-6400, mgarwood [at] tambank.com.

Shortly after the raid, Tamalpais Bank’s CEO Mark Garwood stated that he had a moral obligation to help these residents, now we have to hold him to his word. Call Tamalpais bank today to make sure that building owners understand that they must treat residents with dignity.

We will continue to advocate with the tenants to make sure the bank, the police, and the city does the right thing. Please respond to this message if you would like to support this effort in addition to calling Mr. Garwood.


Oakland Tenant Rights Clinic OPENS for Justice!

Our sister organization St. Peters Housing Committee, has brought their expertise in fighting for tenants to Oakland! The Tenant Rights Clinic hit the ground running on September 1 and has helped dozens of tenants in through difficult living situations. The clinic provides free tenant counseling and case management services for low-income working class tenants in Oakland. And now, the clinic needs your help.

We need a handful of volunteers to commit to a once a week shift for 2-4 hours answering the phone in the new tenant's rights clinic that St. Peter's opened up at the JCO office. This entails answering the phone, talking to tenants in distress, setting up appointments with the housing counselors, and referring people to resources. It is really important that folks who call in are able to talk to a human being and not a machine. There will be training for all tenant clinic volunteers. Please contact Molly (molly [at] justcauseoakland.org) if you can take calls for tenant rights!

And, if you are having problems or now anyone who is having trouble with repairs, rent increases, evictions, harassment, or other problem with your tenancy, please call us or make an appointment the clinic at 510-TENANTS.