Even before the COVID-19 pandemic reached California, Oakland faced a housing affordability crisis that threatened our public health, safety, and community stability. A wave of corporate landlords have bought up large parts of Oakland's rental housing stock. Their business model depends on displacing long-term black and brown tenants living in rent-controlled units so that they can rent out their units at higher, inflated prices. Despite our existing laws against tenant harassment, this behavior by bad actor landlords is still an effective way of removing tenants from their homes.

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.