Eviction

She's six months pregnant and has two young children. She's lived in the same two-bedroom apartment in Oakland for the past seven years.

But then, much to her surprise, she got a 60-day eviction notice.

Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today issued an information bulletin to California law enforcement agencies to reinforce integral eviction procedures under the California Homeowner Bill of Rights. Under current California law, occupants of a foreclosed property who are not named in eviction documents - such as tenants - can present a “Claim of Right to Possession” form to temporarily stop the eviction process up to and including when the Sheriff comes to remove them from the property.

Democrat Assembly Member Mike Gatto (photo above) represents many tenants in his 43rd Assembly district, which includes East Hollywood, Atwater Village, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Burbank and Glendale. Yet, Assembly Member Gatto has become a landlord lobby front man by introducing legislation that would severely undermine tenants' ability to defend themselves in an eviction action.

The landlord-backed AB 2312 (Gatto), would gut tenants' rights in an unlawful detainer actions by requiring represented tenants to deposit monthly rent in advance of trial with their attorneys.

Although controversial renter protection measures overwhelmed the San Mateo City Council’s public consideration of recommendations made by its Housing Task Force earlier this month, the stakeholder group also released a report providing critical insight into the area’s red-hot housing market.

Key facts include that nearly half of the city’s housing stock is comprised of rentals, the vast majority of those currently residing in San Mateo cannot afford to buy a home today and prices have drastically increased as the city absorbs an influx of new jobs.

New York City renters who face eviction could get a little more help on their side if a proposed initiative is given the green light.

Two years after the introduction of a bill that would provide legal aid to low-income renters dealing with eviction proceedings, advocates are still fighting for residents’ right to counsel.

Press Conference:  10am, Thursday, April 14 2016

Location: Bay View Apartments - 470 Central Ave. Alameda, CA 94501

Lawyers can play many roles, often contributing to economic inequality. They can represent large corporations against their low-wage workers, receive large salaries representing Too Big to Fail Banks, and lobby for tax dodges for billionaires. But they can also work for greater economic equality and to prevent the harshest consequences of racial and gender discrimination.