Also: San Leandro’s own city manager scandal could be heating up again on Tuesday night.
renters
Up for re-election, three Hayward officials seek to help renters as landlords fund their campaigns
Powerful landlord interests are making early bets on Hayward Mayor Barbara Halliday, Councilmembers Mark Salinas, Sara Lamnin. HAYWARD CITY COUNCILThree Hayward officials received nearly maxed-out contributions from the powerful pro-landlord California Apartment Association (CAA) and affiliates last year, according to… Read More ›
Costa-Hawkins repeal bill fails in committee; Bonta votes yes
Assemblymember Rob Bonta at a Housing and Development Committee hearing Thursday in Sacramento. 18TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICTAssemblymember Rob Bonta, and throngs of rental housing advocates from Oakland, Alameda and across the state, were ready for a fight Thursday in favor of… Read More ›
Renters at infamous Alameda apartments received evictions five days before Christmas
Assemblymember Rob Bonta, left, and Alameda Councilmember Malia Vella, right, listen to concerns Friday from tenants at the Bay View Apts. ALAMEDA“Everyday I open my door to check and see if there’s a eviction notice,” said Alameda renter Julia Balthasar. Just… Read More ›
Alamedans will vote on landlord-backed rent measure in 2018
A petitioner on Park Street in Alameda last July seeking a signature for a landlords- backed ballot measure. ALAMEDA CITY COUNCILOver the past 18 months, Alameda has seen a number of rent-related ballot measures come and go. Some, like two… Read More ›
Fremont City Council, except one member, fell under the spell of powerful landlord interests
Fremont Councilmember Vinnie Bacon said last week that a city rent board ordinance will do nothing for renters. He supports rent control. FREMONT CITY COUNCIL–PUBLIC COMMENT–Appointed Fremont Councilmember David Bonaccorsi hid behind modest change while striking populist tones. His collegaues… Read More ›
EBC AGENDA | SEPT 15-21 | OAKLAND public bank; FREMONT rent review ordinance; HAYWARD shuttle study; KHANNA town hall
THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 15-21Without a doubt, affordable housing is the biggest issue facing the East Bay. Last week, the state legislature delivered some help to alleviate the crisis, but only time will tell if the wisdom of allowing developers… Read More ›
Tenant relocation payments finally approved in San Leandro
SAN LEANDRO CITY COUNCILA proposed tenant relocation payment program in San Leandro has for more than a year shuttled back and forth between the City Council and its rules committee without resolution, worrying tenants and angering landlords who have balked… Read More ›
In a surprise, Alameda repeals its just cause ordinance at the behest of local renters group
ALAMEDA CITY COUNCILOver the past month, members of the Alameda Renters Coalition had been toying with a counterintuitive proposal. Instead of fighting a costly election campaign sometime next year to oppose a referendum offered by Alameda landlords to roll back… Read More ›
Bonta urges Alameda to disqualify landlord referendum accused of violating election law
Assemblymember Rob Bonta 18TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICTAssemblymember Rob Bonta wants the Alameda City Council to investigate and potentially disqualify a pending ballot referendum brought forth last month by local landlords after a raft of complaints that signature-gatherers intentionally misled residents. The… Read More ›
Alameda signature-gatherers hired by landlords could face criminal charges
ALAMEDA CITY COUNCILThe city of Alameda has received 51 affidavits alleging signature-gatherers paid by local landlords illegally misrepresented a proposed ballot measure intended to rollback recently-approved just cause tenant protections. The city is taking the charges seriously. According to a… Read More ›
San Leandro tenant relocation payment ordinance stymied, sent back to Rules Committee
SAN LEANDRO CITY COUNCILFor the second time in as many weeks, a proposed tenant relocation payment program in San Leandro has failed to move forward. The San Leandro City Council sent back to committee, 5-2, Monday night a second iteration… Read More ›
EBC AGENDA | JUNE 30-JULY 6 | Tenant relocation payments return to SAN LEANDRO; ALAMEDA Point Site A; Sheriff AHERN in HAYWARD; ‘MERICA!
THE WEEK OF JUNE 30-JULY 6Every week the EBC AGENDA describes a “very busy week in East Bay government.” Unless White House press secretary Sean Spicer is offering the agenda this week, using this phrase would be a total lie!… Read More ›
Alameda landlords file charter amendment petition, possible second ballot measure
Alameda Councilmember Jim Oddie at a pro-renters rally at City Hall on June 16. ALAMEDA CITY COUNCILOver the past weeks, as a wave of unruly signature-gatherers from outside of Alameda have been pushing a landlord-backed petition to roll back just… Read More ›
San Leandro City Council adds landlord exemptions to proposed tenant relocation payments
SAN LEANDRO CITY COUNCILIt’s taken more than a year for the San Leandro City Council to formulate a tenant relocation payments amendment to its existing rent review ordinance. But following a number of additions to the proposal, some that benefit… Read More ›
Alameda City Council approves Just Cause tenant protections; targets actions by rogue landlord
Supporters for Just Cause at an Alameda City Council meeting on Tuesday night. ALAMEDA CITY COUNCILAlameda is the latest Bay Area city to add Just Cause protections that restrict landlords from evicting renters without a specific reason. The Alameda City… Read More ›
‘The time for Just Cause is now’: Alameda is poised to enact stronger tenant protections
Alameda renters rallying last fall for greater tenant protections. ALAMEDA CITY COUNCILDuring a Alameda City Council meeting in April, island renters thought they were nearing approval for one of their top objectives over the past two years, enacting Just Cause… Read More ›
Since when did Alameda become an island of progressive activism?
WHEN A FEW DROPS OF BLOOD from a protesting renter hit the floor at City Hall in November 2015, something seemed to have changed in Alameda’s politics. A grassroots renters group flooded City Hall that night urging the council to… Read More ›
Push poll, possibly backed by landlords, has Alameda renters group on alert
Alameda renters at the Bay View Apartments. ALAMEDA | RENT CONTROL |A potentially nasty campaign against Alameda’s rent control initiative appears to have begun. In the past few days, some Alamedans have reported a telephone survey seeking responses, they say,… Read More ›
Alameda landlords’ measure to ban rent control falls short of valid signatures
ALAMEDA | In a development that leaves just two rent-related initiatives on the ballot in Alameda this fall, a competing measure backed by landlords failed to gather enough valid signatures for inclusion in the next election or beyond. The Alameda… Read More ›
Alameda landlords’ rent measure fizzles
Councilmember Tony Daysog said he is own rent measure will also not appear on the November ballot. ALAMEDA CITY COUNCIL |A proposed Alameda ballot measure that would have banned rent control on the island will not appear on the November… Read More ›
