8 20-0228 Subject: Tenant Protection, Just Cause, & Rent Ordinance Amendments
From: City Attorney Parker, Councilmember Bas And Pro Tem Kalb
Recommendation: Adopt An Ordinance Amending Chapter 8.22 Of The Oakland Municipal Code (Residential Rent Adjustments And Evictions) To (1) Limit The Maximum Rent Increase In Any One Year To Conform To State Law; (2) Make Failure To Pay Required Relocation Benefits An Affirmative Defense To Eviction; (3) Limit Late Fees; (4) Prohibit Unilaterally Imposed Changes To Terms Of Tenancy; (5) Add One-For-One Replacement Of Roommates To The Definition Of Housing Services; (6) Prohibit Eviction Based On Additional Occupants If Landlord Unreasonably Refused Tenant's Written Request To Add Occupant(S); And (7) Strengthen Tenants' Rights And Enforcement Of Tenants' Rights Under The Tenant Protection Ordinance [TITLE CHANGE]
We are seeing devastating impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic on our community. The aftermath of COVID-19 is only going to worsen Oakland’s housing crisis. Without strong protections, Oakland’s communities of color are on the verge of an avalanche of displacement from which they, and the city’s diversity, may never recover. While the city has taken steps to protect tenants by passing an eviction moratorium, some landlords are continuing to attempt to intimidate tenants into leaving. Now, and as we recover from this pandemic, City Council must act to keep Oakland residents safe and housed.
Oakland residents need our City Council to pass strong Tenant Protection upgrades NOW.
We are thankful that Councilmembers Dan Kalb and Nikki Fortunato Bas, and City Attorney Barbara Parker, have sponsored these important protections for Oakland tenants. We urge you and the other city councilmembers to join them.
With the housing affordability crisis and Covid-19, working-class people in Oakland are highly vulnerable to displacement, homelessness, and neglect and abuse from bad-acting landlords. These protections are even more necessary during the current crisis and its aftermath to keep Oakland residents safe and housed!
I’m writing to urge you to pass strong upgrades to Oakland’s tenant protections on Monday. Now more than ever, it is imperative to protect tenants from abuse and harassment. We need to make sure the laws stop bad actors from displacing more tenants of color from Oakland.
I urge you to pass this important ordinance. If you fail to do so, you are condemning thousands of Oaklanders to potential displacement and homelessness. Moreover, this is a key racial justice issue. Racist housing policies and practices have denied Black folks access to homeownership and exposed them to predatory mortgage lending practices that have resulted in high rates of foreclosure. As a result, Black people and other POC are far more likely to be renters in Oakland, and they are also far more likely to be unable to pay rent currently due to the economic impacts of COVID. This policy would help Oakland's most impacted renters, who are disproportionately POC.
If the Oakland City Council truly cares about racial justice and preventing the continued displacement of Oakland's Black, brown, and low-income residents, you will pass this ordinance.
With gratitude,
Eli Kaplan
District 1 resident of Oakland
We are seeing devastating impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic on our community. The aftermath of COVID-19 is only going to worsen Oakland’s housing crisis. Without strong protections, Oakland’s communities of color are on the verge of an avalanche of displacement from which they, and the city’s diversity, may never recover. While the city has taken steps to protect tenants by passing an eviction moratorium, some landlords are continuing to attempt to intimidate tenants into leaving. Now, and as we recover from this pandemic, City Council must act to keep Oakland residents safe and housed.
Oakland residents need our City Council to pass strong Tenant Protection upgrades NOW.
We are thankful that Councilmembers Dan Kalb and Nikki Fortunato Bas, and City Attorney Barbara Parker, have sponsored these important protections for Oakland tenants. We urge you and the other city councilmembers to join them.
With the housing affordability crisis and Covid-19, working-class people in Oakland are highly vulnerable to displacement, homelessness, and neglect and abuse from bad-acting landlords. These protections are even more necessary during the current crisis and its aftermath to keep Oakland residents safe and housed!
We need stronger tenant protections. How can that even be a question in a time like this?
I’m writing to urge you to pass strong upgrades to Oakland’s tenant protections on Monday. Now more than ever, it is imperative to protect tenants from abuse and harassment. We need to make sure the laws stop bad actors from displacing more tenants of color from Oakland.
Dear members of the City Council,
I urge you to pass this important ordinance. If you fail to do so, you are condemning thousands of Oaklanders to potential displacement and homelessness. Moreover, this is a key racial justice issue. Racist housing policies and practices have denied Black folks access to homeownership and exposed them to predatory mortgage lending practices that have resulted in high rates of foreclosure. As a result, Black people and other POC are far more likely to be renters in Oakland, and they are also far more likely to be unable to pay rent currently due to the economic impacts of COVID. This policy would help Oakland's most impacted renters, who are disproportionately POC.
If the Oakland City Council truly cares about racial justice and preventing the continued displacement of Oakland's Black, brown, and low-income residents, you will pass this ordinance.
With gratitude,
Eli Kaplan
District 1 resident of Oakland