Tag: affordable housing

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Garbage & Fence

BTU is a member of Tenants Together, California’s statewide tenant organization. Our friends there have provided an easy way for you to support SB603 – the great new law about Security Deposits that we keep telling you about. If passed, this law would give California tenants some rights that Berkeley tenants already enjoy – like interest on their security deposits. In addition, Senator Leno’s bill calls for landlords to pay penalties if they improperly withhold a security deposit. SUCH PENALTIES ARE IMPORTANT because many landlords withhold security deposits as a matter of course, because they count on tenants being unwilling or unable to take them to small claims court.

Just last week at the Farmers Market, BTU met a tenant whose landlord was taking improvements like new carpet and cabinets out of a deposit – this a is a real problem in Berkeley and you can help RIGHT NOW by following the link below to send a letter to our state Senator. You can also call her at (510) 286-1333

http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/5247/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=13246

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Check is in the mail...not!

Here at the Berkeley Tenants Union, we know that having good laws doesn’t always mean it will be easy to get your deposit back, or get the interest your Berkeley landlord is supposed to pay you every year. That’s why we want you to sign Tenants Together’s online pledge and join with BTU in supporting SB 603 — a California bill that will strengthen tenants rights related to getting your deposit back.

Pledge here: http://yourdeposit.org/take-action/

If you are moving soon, you may also want to know that the Berkeley Rent Board will host a workshop for landlords and tenants on Security Deposits on Wednesday April 17th.

Workshop Info:
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/Rent_Stabilization_Board/Home/Landlord_and_Tenant_Seminars_2013.aspx

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Acheson Commons

City Council has sent back the Acheson Commons plan to the Zoning Adjustments Board. The 200+ unit development at Shattuck and University has united labor, environmentalists and affordable housing advocates, according to the article below.

One of the big problems with the current plan is that 8 rent controlled units will be eliminated, but NOT REPLACED with below-market rentals — I say this means the Zoning Board isn’t following the current Demo Ordinance, but City staff are saying all EMPTY UNITS ARE NOT RENT CONTROLLED and not protected from destruction.

*BMC23.080 Board shall approve a Use Permit to eliminate a controlled rental unit only when it finds that: *

*2. The replacement dwelling unit shall be available for occupancy to Households for Lower Income or Very Low Income Household*

BTU might be asking you to comment when this gets back to Zoning — but then again, it looks the developer is once again offering the rent controlled houses for sale, which would comply with a different part of the Demo Ordinance:
http://www.contracostatimes.com/contra-costa-times/ci_22903585/eye-east-bay-richmond-debuts-environmental-disasters-tour

More on the Council decision to remand:
http://www.berkeleyside.com/2013/03/27/acheson-commons-sent-back-to-berkeley-zoning-board/

Illustration by LSA Associates, Inc.

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Happy Dog

You are invited to the Berkeley Tenants Union April Potluck

Come break bread with tenants, smart landlords, activists, and everyone who wants to keep rent control strong and working in Berkeley.

When: April 10, 6:30-8:30 pm
Where: Grassroots House, 2022 Blake, Berkeley between Milvia and Shattuck
RSVP: info (at) berkeleytenants.org (Children are welcome. Please include in RSVP. There will be childcare.)

There will be a 15-minute orientation for folks who want to table at the Saturday Downtown Farmer’s Market.

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Park Street Alameda

Alameda has no rent control. In the letter we have linked to below, their “Rent Review Board” warns landlords that increasing rent more than 10% a year could result in a public push for rent control, “which is bad for landlords and tenants alike.” OH MY!

BTU wants to remind you that we have a good system here in Berkeley, but we can’t take it for granted, and must stand together to keep what we have! One reason we have stronger tenant protections than San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose or Alameda is because our Rent Board is elected. But we need more than just a handful of Commissioners looking out for us – we need you! Come to the April 10th potluck, or drop by our table at the Saturday Farmers Market on April 13 and 27 to learn more about how just a few hours of your time each month could make a big change in Berkeley.

http://alamedasun.com/editorial/11642-open-letter-from-rent-review-board

http://thealamedan.org/news/council-members-rising-rents-could-prompt-controls

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Cracked foundation

At the public hearing on April 3, Berkeley’s Planning Commission reviewed a new draft of the ordinance that is far less threatening to tenants.

After an extremely brief discussion they decided that if Rent Board staff and planning staff can agree on language, the ordinance can be forwarded to City Council.

If there is disagreement, the Planning Commission will review on May 1.

Three BTU members came to the meeting and many more sent in comments by email.

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Handful of Money

Senator Mark Leno (D – San Francisco) has announced the introduction of SB 603, a bill to promote fair treatment of tenant security deposits. SB 603 would require deposit funds to be held in separate accounts — and it will require interest payments to tenants on any funds held — another rule tenants in Berkeley are lucky to have already.

But many tenants know that having a law and getting access to interest or even return of a security deposit are two different things. So Leno’s bill calls for penalties if deposit funds are improperly withheld. SB 603 is co-sponsored by Tenants Together — the statewide organization of which BTU is a proud member — as well as the Western Center on Law and Poverty and California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation.

Watch this space for more on what you can do to help make this bill into law!  Right now, you can show your support here:
http://www.itsyourdeposit.org/take-action/

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ABC Warning screen shot

On May 20, several BTU members joined with UC Berkeley students for Housing Advisory Commissioner Igor Tregub’s Third Annual Day of Seismic Safety. We visited a number of buildings on the City’s “soft story” list — mostly apartments built over garages – which engineers identified as expected to pancake in an earthquake, leaving no time for residents to escape. Although the Planning Dept. tracks compliance with part of the 2006 law known as “Soft Story Part One,” city staff has said they cannot afford to check to make sure landlords are following another part of the law — the part where they tell tenants the building they are living in could kill them!

We visited many buildings that have posted the required signage since the first and second Days of Seismic Safety, but some which still have not posted the warning signs.

We spoke to a number of tenants who want to join with BTU in asking that the city actually enforce the law and, more importantly, make “Soft Story Part Two” — in which the buildings actually get retrofit!

Most importantly, as the news story linked below tells us, landlords want tenants to pay for the retrofit and blame rent control for not repairing their unsafe buildings. Please JOIN US to resist unwarranted rent increases!

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/east_bay&id=9035388