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Tag: tenants
Redistricting Discussion Continues Tuesday
Berkeley City Council will continue to discuss redrawing the lines for Council districts. The map chosen by the City Council majority in December was deemed unfair by many student and progressive groups, and the Berkeley Referendum Coalition gathered signatures in the dead of winter to force the City Council to consider other maps. Council also has the option of putting the maps on the ballot. Many progressive say that the costs of putting the issue on the ballot may be high, so Council should work out a compromise acceptable to referendum leaders.
Councilman Jesse Arreguin submits redistricting ballot measures, including compromise map: “If the council does put the BSDC map on the ballot, Arreguin plans to move forward with the measure that, in addition to creating the citizens commissions, will add a counterproposal to the suspended map. The counterproposal, Arreguin said, is a cross between two previously proposed maps: one supported by the Berkeley Neighborhoods Council and one designed specifically to include Northside student residences.” http://www.dailycal.org/2014/03/11/city-councilmember-proposes-ballot-measures-reform-redistricting-process/
Council Items Continued from February 25 – now Item 16
https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/City_Council/2014/03_Mar/City_Council__03-11-2014_-_Regular_Meeting_Agenda.aspx
More on Redistricting:
https://www.cityofberkeley.info/redistricting/
Berkeleyside: Council majority pushes redistricting decisions to March
http://www.berkeleyside.com/2014/02/26/council-majority-pushes-redistricting-decisions-to-march/
Daily Cal: Berkeley Referendum Coalition celebrates success, plans to meet Sunday
http://www.dailycal.org/2014/02/14/berkeley-referendum-coalition-celebrates-success-plans-meet-sunday/
First Amendment Defense Fund
Benefit March 14 for Shelton, Tregub, Dodsworth and Soto-Vigil
Four tenant leaders are asking for the community’s help to pay some of their mounting legal bills. A case stemming from the 2012 election for Rent Board has continued for over a year.
Shortly after the hotly contest 2012 Rent Board election, the president of the Berkeley Property Owners Association, whose family is often identified as one of the largest landlords in Berkeley, brought a lawsuit against the four candidates chosen at the biannual Berkeley Tenant Convention. According to press reports, Sid Lakireddy sued candidates Igor Tregub, Asa Dodsworth, Judy Shelton and Alejandro Soto-Vigil for libel. The initial motions from the tenant leaders in their defense were rejected by a judge last spring, and the defendants appealed.
About the Lawsuit:
Berkeleyside: “The nephew of a notorious landlord who was sent to prison for transporting minors from India for the purpose of illegal sexual activity has filed a defamation lawsuit against four former Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board candidates. Sid Lakireddy, president of the Berkeley Property Owners Association, said that Igor Tregub, Alejandro Soto-Vigil, Asa Dodsworth and Judy Shelton libeled him when they sent an email to supporters that overtly suggested Lakireddy was involved in the criminal case brought against his uncle, Lakireddy Bali Reddy.” http://www.berkeleyside.com/2013/05/30/sid-lakireddy-sues-berkeley-rent-board-candidates-for-libel/
Daily Californian: “Four Berkeley city officials filed an appeal on May 16 in response to an Alameda County Superior Court decision in a defamation lawsuit brought against them by Sid Lakireddy, nephew of convicted sex trafficker Lakireddy Bali Reddy….The lawsuit stems from an Oct. 18 email sent by Tregub on behalf of all four slate members to their supporters. According to court documents, Tregub’s email referred to Sid Lakireddy as “the same guy whose family was caught in a human trafficking ring and was complicit in murder” and contained a link to an article that mentioned unnamed family members of the Reddy clan as being involved in the crimes.” http://www.dailycal.org/2013/06/02/berkeley-city-officials-file-an-appeal-in-response-to-decision-in-defamation-lawsuit/
About the Fundraiser:
Friday March 14 at 7 PM
900 Murray St. in Berkeley
https://www.facebook.com/events/224026114467546
About the Tenant Convention:
The progressive community has held a gathering to choose a slate for Rent Bord for as long as most folks in Berkeley can remember. Planning for the 2014 convention is underway, and many BTU members report taking an active role. Soon the convention website will be launched so that all organizations and candidates interested in participating can be informed. BTU will post a link on our sidebar when the planning group launches their site.
2012:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJfuMFmTp0E
http://www.dailycal.org/2012/07/08/four-rent-board-commissioners-chosen-at-the-tenant-convention/
2010:
http://metcouncilonhousing.org/news_and_issues/tenant_newspaper/2010/november/berkeley%E2%80%99s_pro_tenant_rent_board
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2010-07-27/article/35937?headline=Tenants-Convention-Nominates-Rent-Board-Candidates–By-Steven-Finacom
BTU to the Rescue!
Activist Newspaper Names BTU “Best T-Shirt” in Report on Renters’ Day of Action in Sacramento
http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=12357
Order your T-shirt today!
Contact leah (at) berkeleytenants.org
Upcoming and Updates
Redistricting Referendum: Tuesday February 25
The referendum passed, with over 150 volunteers collecting 7,500 signatures over the holidays. Now, the Referendum Coalition needs support at the City Council meeting Tuesday February 25. If you can’t attend, please email Clerk@cityofberkeley.info to support ITEM 21b: “Choose an Alternate Redistricting Map, not a Special Election.” (A Special Election is recommended in Item 21a from the City Manager.)
Item 21b:
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/Clerk/City_Council/2014/02_Feb/City_Council__02-25-2014_-_Regular_Meeting_Agenda.aspx
Referendum in the news:
http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2014/02/10/berkeley-voters-overturn-gerrymandering/
Demolition Ordinance
The City Council seems to have put bad changes to the demo ordinance on the back burner. However, some buildings may still have Zoning hearings under the old rules, which include an anti-tenant interpretation by the City Attorney. We will keep you posted.
Berkeley Neighborhoods Council:http://www.berkeleyneighborhoodscouncil.com/Newsletters/2014/Issue5/BNC_eNEWS_5_NHF5.htm
Demolishing older, affordable rentals to replace with luxury apartments is a national trend:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-13/demolitions-dire-for-poor-as-affordable-rent-gap-grows-economy.html
Tenant Sues over Eviction for Air BnB
“…case highlights an ongoing issue of Airbnb and other sites that allow people to rent out spare rooms or entire apartments to temporary visitors. Critics charge that the new sharing-economy services are so lucrative – and so laxly regulated – that they are forcing out residents and driving up rents by reducing the supply of available housing.”
Airbnb profits prompted S.F (PDF)
Rich People Say the Darndest Things
“The problem is that the world and this country should not talk about envy of the 1 percent. It should talk about emulating the 1 percent,” he said. “The 1 percent work harder. The 1 percent are much bigger factors in all forms of our society.” –Billionaire Sam Zell, who owns Equity Residential, now Berkeley’s Largest Landlord.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/05/sam-zell-1-percent_n_4733196.html
Consider the Source
“For moderates like Mayor Ed Lee, appearing to get tough on the Ellis Act is an easy way to address voter discontent about affordability without having to wade into more controversial issues like housing density and planning reform.”
http://www.modernluxury.com/san-francisco/story/the-eviction-crisis-wasnt
Class Action Lawsuit Against Central Valley’s Biggest Slumlord
“When repairs are made, the complaint alleges, they are merely cosmetic and fail to address the health and safety issues, and JD Homes often retaliates against tenants who complain to authorities.”
http://tenantstogether.org/article.php?id=2944
More on Tenant Displacement in San Francisco
“There’s 50,600 proposed units of housing coming to San Francisco. Approximately 27,000 of these housing units have already been approved by officials, with 6,100 currently under construction. Most of the housing being built is “market rate,” meaning that it’s priced for those who can afford to spend roughly $36,000 a year on rent…The tech boom has conspired with rising housing prices to create an incredibly profitable incentive for landlords to push out low-income tenants and replace them with wealthy buyers, in spite of all the new units coming to market.”
http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/02/13/san-franciscos-displacement-crisis/
Renters March in Sacramento
BTU is Going to Sacramento!
Tuesday February 18
Click to download a PDF
Berkeley Tenants Union members will join with tenants from around the state in the first tenant March and Rally in Sacramento in many years.
On Tuesday February 18, Tenants Together is leading member organizations like BTU to the capital. BTU members and friends are invited to hop on a bus in the morning and return by about 1 PM to the East Bay. If you live in Berkeley, please email us for more information. Sign up directly on the Tenants Together website if you are not a Berkeley tenant.
With evictions in California’s larger cities creating panic among long-term renters, it is time for solidarity. State cuts to affordable housing threaten to have long-term impacts unless restored, and elimination of the renters’ rebate in state income taxes has left low-income senior and disabled tenants with less food on the table. These are the issues we will march to support on the Renters’ Day of Action.
Signing an online petition is not enough. Even writing to your state representatives is not enough. It’s time to take to the streets!
◘ Restore the Renter’s Rebate For Seniors and Disabled
In 2008 the Governor cut the Senior Citizens Renters Tax Assistance Program from the California budget. The program allowed disabled and senior tenants making less than $44,096 a tax rebate of about $300. Fixed income renters relied on this rebate.
http://www.tenantstogether.org/section.php?id=136
◘ Support the Homes and Jobs Act
State Bill 391 puts a fee on recording of real estate transactions – except home sales – which would generate $500 million a year to fund construction of housing for working people. California could use this money to leverage another $2.78 billion in federal assistance and bank loans to boost construction and create 29,000 jobs.
Homes and Jobs PDF
◘ Reform the Ellis Act
Speculators are misusing the state law to get around local tenant protections. In San Francisco, over 3,700 families have lost their homes through this type of eviction. This reform asks that local governments have more control over how Ellis evictions are carried out.
http://www.antievictionmappingproject.net/ellis.html
If you have not, please sign the ELLIS REFORM PETITION:
Referendum Coalition SUCCEEDS!
Berkeley Tenants and other supporters rejoiced Tuesday as the Berkeley Referendum Coalition turned in 7,876 signatures, much more than the 5,275 necessary for the referendum. Alameda County has 30 business days to make sure the signatures are legitimate, but volunteers already combed the sign-up sheets to validate the petitions.
City Council reportedly has until April 1 to offer a compromise redistricting plan – otherwise the districts go on the ballot for voters to decide. Stefan Elgstrand, a student leader who worked on the referendum, told City Council on Tuesday night that he and other referendum group leaders are looking forward to working out a plan everyone can support.
Berkeleyside
Rob Wrenn in Comments: “Measure R, a poorly thought-out measure, supported by everyone on the Council if I remember right, makes gerrymandering much easier. Whoever has a majority on the Council can more easily create districts that make re-election difficult for their opponents….
Maybe the City should follow the lead of the state of California and create some independent body to set Council districts. Otherwise we may have redistricting referendum petitions every ten years.”
Inside Bay Area
“If the referendum is successful, the city still must equalize its districts. The City Council can choose to place a redistricting ordinance before the voters, or it can write a compromise redistricting plan that won’t face a new referendum.”
Daily Californian
“If the council reaches agreement before April 1, it will still meet the deadline for putting new district lines into effect by the November election. If the council decides not to create a new map, its other option is to put the BSDC map on the June or November ballot.”
Daily Planet
BTU’s newsletter was also quoted here by the Planet:
Stop Gerrymandering — Just a Few Days Left!
Calling All Members! The Berkeley Tenants Union, The Council of Neighborhood Associations and Cal Dems – UC student Democrats – have endorsed the referendum on redistricting. Join us in collecting signatures for the Berkeley Referendum Coalition. We must stop a new map of council districts clearly designed to disenfranchise neighborhood groups and progressive students from the co-ops — in order to unseat Kriss Worthington. Worthington has been a strong supporter of tenants for many years – plus he is a BTU member!
PICK UP A PETITION THIS WEEKEND
SATURDAY at 10am or 1pm
SUNDAY at 10am or 1pm
Grassroots House (where BTU meets) 2022 Blake Street
The Coalition also needs folks who can’t collect signatures to verify signers and do other office work. Contact berkeleyref (at) gmail.com
Denim Ohmit, vice president of finance for Cal Berkeley Democrats, believes…that more perfect district lines are attainable and worth all the effort of a referendum. ‘Why not get the best district possible?’ Ohmit said at the rally. ‘Redistricting is an opportunity that only comes once every ten years. The Daily Californian also compares the two student district maps, and has a photo of BTU member Judy Shelton collecting signatures. http://www.dailycal.org/2014/01/05/berkeley-referendum-rally-held-new-district-lines/
Daily Planet: Admittedly, it’s a clever ploy. The conservative councilmembers and their advisors managed to capture a movement to re-draw the council district boundaries to guarantee a student-majority district and impose a new map which excludes the students who are most likely to vote for progressive candidates. The obvious target is incumbent Councilmember Kriss Worthington…. http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2014-01-03/article/41745?headline=Without-the-Referendum-Berkeley-is-Doomed-to-Ten-More-Years-of-Hanging-Basket-Planning–By-Becky-O-Malley
Berkeleyside: The council rejected another map that was introduced late in the process known as the United District Student Amendment (UDSA). That one had the co-ops. After the vote, supporters of the UDSA map decided to collect signatures for a referendum to put the issue before voters. http://www.berkeleyside.com/2014/01/03/tight-deadline-to-get-redistricting-referendum-on-ballot/
Reform the Ellis Act Now!
Berkeley is one of 14 cities in California that enjoys strong protections for tenants. San Francisco has decent protections, but has seen a huge wave of evictions that use a state law, the Ellis Act, to get around local rules.
Now there is a statewide effort to reform the Ellis Act. The law was intended to allow long-term owners to “go out of the rental business” but instead allows investment companies and other speculators to buy rent controlled buildings, evict all the tenants, and sell the units as condos or tenancies-in-common at huge profits.
Activists from San Diego to Redding are hoping a reformed law might require an owner to hold the building for at least five years before they could “go out of business” – this would eliminate speculators who buy rental properties only to flip them after evictions. However, in 2007 a bill in the California legislature which called for a five-year delay failed miserably. If a broad coalition from many cities – including Berkeley – doesn’t support the current reform, we could end up with a state exemption to the law that will only protect San Francisco.
And you know what they say – “When San Francisco sneezes, Berkeley get a cold!” If SF was able to curb their epidemic of evictions, speculators will quickly turn to Berkeley. This is why the Berkeley Tenants Union wants you to join with us in supporting broad statewide reform of the Ellis Act now!
Our friends at Tenants Together have put together a petition as a first step:
A state law, The Ellis Act, is responsible for the unfair eviction of thousands of seniors and families in California. In the past few years Ellis Act evictions have surged, with thousands of long-term tenants displaced from their homes.
Send the message that we will stand up for our communities against speculation.
http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/5247/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=15820
San Francisco is taking other steps to end their eviction crisis – Berkeley should also increase Ellis relocation payments, restrict unit mergers, and give evicted residents priority for local affordable housing – join BTU to fight for this today! Right now, the revisions to the Berkeley Demolition Ordinance proposed by Mayor Bates will make it easier to eliminate rent controlled units by merging them to create big houses for the wealthy — the exact opposite of how San Francisco is changing their law!
http://sfpublicpress.org/news/2013-12/supervisors-approve-plan-to-protect-tenants-against-displacement
Hundreds of seniors, families and long-term renters evicted in San Francisco
http://www.beyondchron.org/articles/Stopping_Ellis_Act_s_Economic_Terrorism_12134.html
The Ellis reform bill would allow local governments more say in preventing evictions:
http://m.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/tenant-advocates-seek-support-for-reforming-ellis-act/Content?oid=2665435