Tenant News Roundup

This month we're happy to report that tenants are fighting back and it's making it in the news. Whether it's against Ellis-Act evictions in San Francisco and Santa Monica or slumlords in East Contra Costa County, tenants are speaking out and it's generating press coverage. Interested in telling your story? One way to do that is through the Tenant Voices section of our website.

News from across the state of California

San Francisco: wave of protests defending Ellis-Act evictions
Watch This Depressing Time-Lapse Visualization of Ellis Act Evictions
Landlords in San Francisco have used the Ellis Act to evict rent-controlled tenants from their apartments. Some buildings have been through more than one Ellis Act eviction, as the property can be re-rented after five years. The map is available on the Bay Guardian web site.
 
S.F. Family Loses Fight, Evicted after 34 Years
An elderly couple and their disabled adult daughter were evicted from their home of 34 years. The landlord is planning to convert the building to tenants-in-common units.

Court Quashes Eviction of Longterm Castro Tenant Jeremy Mykaels
A San Francisco court has stopped the Ellis eviction of San Francisco tenant Jeremy Mykaels. The landlord may appeal the decision.

Affordable Housing Debate Heats Up at City Hall 
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors will look at several proposals to increase the amount of affordable housing in the City. Among the proposals are legalization of in-law units and stricter protections for rent-controlled units.

East Contra Costa County: tenants fight for right to live bedbug-free
Bedbug Infestation at Concord Apartment Building Prompts Lawsuit
A Concord landlord is being sued for failing to eradicate bedbugs in an apartment building, even after repeated complaints by tenants. The building is also infested with cockroaches and rodents. Tenants Together is working with the tenants.

East Bay Tenants Sue Landlord over Bedbugs
Tenants of a Concord apartment building are suing their landlord over an infestation of bedbugs, cockroaches and rats.
 
Other parts of the state, statewide:
Marin Housing Officials Drop Controversial Truancy Eviction Policy
Housing officials in Marin County have dropped a proposal that would evict tenants if their children are truant from school. Many critics felt that the policy made life more difficult for already vulnerable families.

Brown Vetoes Bill Requiring Affordable Rental Units
Governor Brown vetoed a bill that would allow local communities to require affordable rental units as part of new developments. Upset about it? Take action here!

L.A. County is Among Least Affordable Housing Markets
A median income household in Los Angeles County can afford only 24% of the houses in the County. Only San Francisco and New York are more expensive.


Notable tenant news nationwide

For Low-Income Families, Substandard Housing Takes a Toll on Children
Substandard housing and residential instability are important factors in predicting emotional and behavioral problems in children.

Families with Kids Go Homeless as U.S. Rents Exceed Pay
Families around the country are rendered homeless when their parents cannot afford rapidly increasing rents on deteriorating wages.

Mayor Bloomberg Says New York City's Lack of Affordable Housing is a 'Good Sign' of a Vibrant Economy Because 'More People Want to Live Here' 
In his weekly radio address, Mayor Bloomberg argued that the lack of affordable housing there was a good thing. But the Mayor has devoted substantial public resources to subsidies for the development of luxury housing.