City Government

Oakland Community Backs Kaplan’s Renter Protection Proposal

Published

9 years ago

July 1, 2016

The City Council is poised to place a renter protection measure on the November ballot, but housing advocates and community members are unsure what the measure will look like and if it is going to be significantly watered down by council members before going on the ballot.

There are currently three renter protection measures under discussion by City Councilmembers, one of which was reworked by Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan and has the support of the tenants’ rights activists, labor unions and the renter protection coalition who submitted the original version.

Her proposal will be voted to go onto the ballot in the July 19 City Council meeting.

“My proposal was written in collaboration with a wide coalition of community groups and experts, and has the support of a large number of people and community based groups, including SEIU Local 1021, ACCE, and many more,” said Kaplan.

Council President Lynette Gibson McElhaney has also drafted her own renter protection measure, which will come before the City Council on July 19.

Members of the Coalition to Protect Oakland Renters, which drafted the original ballot initiative, are pushing for Kaplan’s version of the measure since it incorporates their main concerns.

These include requiring landlords to petition to increase rents over the annual consumer price index;

Reducing the number of renters who lack the protections of Just Cause for Eviction;

Increasing the powers of the current Oakland rent board and the underfunded rent adjustment program;

And proposing solutions that are going to “stem the wave of displacement that is changing the face of Oakland’s historic, cultural and racial diversity,” according to organizers with the coalition.

Housing rights advocates are concerned that McElhaney’s version of the renter protection measure may be too weak to protect tenants at risk of displacement.

Little is currently known about McElhaney’s draft of the measure, and by press time, she had not responded to questions from the Post.

From public statements, it appears that parts of her version might be passed directly by the City Council while other parts would go to the November ballot.

According to Kaplan, one large difference between the two proposals is that “my proposal puts the improvements in place immediately, (McElhaney’s) proposal delays putting their proposal in place for a year or two, so it would not respond to the displacement crisis facing Oakland renters now.”

Items passed by ballot cannot be changed unless they are voted on by Oakland residents again. Items passed by the council can be changed at the council’s will.

Housing activists fear this will give the council too much power over the rent laws, especially since councilmembers are sometimes lobbied by outof-town developers who have an interest in increasing housing prices.

“The coalition is standing firm behind Rebecca (Kaplan’s) proposal,” said James Vann of the Post Salon Community Assembly.

“We also urge (Council) to continue the housing moratorium until sufficient policies are in place to protect tenants, who represent 60 percent of Oakland residents, from huge rent increases and increased evictions” said Vann.

(In an email to the Post, Council President McElhaney said that the Post mistakenly said that she authored a rent proposal. In her clarification, she wrote that the proposal in question is authored by Councilmember Dan Kalb, to which she has made significant amendments.

The Post has asked McElhaney to submit a column explaining what she is proposing for rent protection.)

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

99-Year-Old Iris Canada Facing Eviction in SF

Don't Miss

Richmond Mayor Opposes Solar-Powered Light Rail Company

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of December 24 – 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 24 – 30, 2025

Published

14 hours ago

December 25, 2025

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Alameda County

Oakland Council Expands Citywide Security Cameras Despite Major Opposition

In a 7-1 vote in favor of the contract, with only District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife voting no, the Council agreed to maintain its existing network of 291 cameras and add 40 new “pan-tilt-zoom cameras.”

Published

5 days ago

December 21, 2025

Oakland Post

At the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference, Flock Safety introduces new public safety technology – Amplified Intelligence, a suite of AI-powered tools designed to improve law enforcement investigations. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland City Council this week approved a $2.25 million contract with Flock Safety for a mass surveillance network of hundreds of security cameras to track vehicles in the city.

In recent weeks hundreds of local residents have spoken against the camera system, raising concerns that data will be shared with immigration authorities and other federal agencies at a time when mass surveillance is growing across the country with little regard for individual rights.

The Flock network, supported by the Oakland Police Department, has the backing of residents and councilmembers who see it as an important tool to protect public safety.

“This system makes the Department more efficient as it allows for information related to disruptive/violent criminal activities to be captured … and allows for precise and focused enforcement,” OPD wrote in its proposal to City Council.

According to OPD, police made 232 arrests using data from Flock cameras between July 2024 and November of this year.

Based on the data, police say they recovered 68 guns, and utilizing the countywide system, they have found 1,100 stolen vehicles.

However, Flock’s cameras cast a wide net. The company’s cameras in Oakland last month captured license plate numbers and other information from about 1.4 million vehicles.

Speaking at Tuesday’s Council meeting, Fife was critical of her colleagues for signing a contract with a company that has been in the national spotlight for sharing data with federal agencies.

Flock’s cameras – which are automated license plate readers – have been used in tracking people who have had abortions, monitoring protesters, and aiding in deportation roundups.

“I don’t know how we get up and have several press conferences talking about how we are supportive of a sanctuary city status but then use a vendor that has been shown to have a direct relationship with (the U.S.) Border Control,” she said. “It doesn’t make sense to me.”

Several councilmembers who voted in favor of the contract said they supported the deal as long as some safeguards were written into the Council’s resolution.

“We’re not aiming for perfection,” said District 1 Councilmember Zac Unger. “This is not Orwellian facial recognition technology — that’s prohibited in Oakland. The road forward here is to add as many amendments as we can.”

Amendments passed by the Council prohibit OPD from sharing camera data with any other agencies for the purpose of “criminalizing reproductive or gender affirming healthcare” or for federal immigration enforcement. California state law also prohibits the sharing of license plate reader data with the federal government, and because Oakland’s sanctuary city status, OPD is not allowed to cooperate with immigration authorities.

A former member of Oakland’s Privacy Advisory Commission has sued OPD, alleging that it has violated its own rules around data sharing.

So far, OPD has shared Flock data with 50 other law enforcement agencies.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Black Arts Movement Business District Named New Cultural District in California

Located in the heart of District 3, the BAMBD is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most important centers of Black cultural production — a space where artists, entrepreneurs, organizers, and cultural workers have shaped generations of local and national identity. The state’s recognition affirms the district’s historic importance and its future promise.

Published

5 days ago

December 20, 2025

Oakland Post

Councilmember Carroll Fife celebrates major milestone for Black arts, culture, and economic power in Oakland. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

Oakland’s Black Arts Movement Business District (BAMBD) has been selected as one of California’s 10 new state-designated Cultural Districts, a distinction awarded by the California Arts Council (CAC), according to a media statement released by Councilmember Carroll Fife.

The BAMBD now joins 23 other districts across the state recognized for their deep cultural legacy, artistic excellence, and contributions to California’s creative economy.

“This designation is a testament to what Black Oakland has built — and what we continue to build when we insist on investing in our own cultural and economic power,” said Fife.

“For years, our community has fought for meaningful recognition and resources for the Black Arts Movement Business District,” she said. “This announcement validates that work and ensures that BAMBD receives the support it needs to grow, thrive, and continue shaping the cultural fabric of California.”

Since taking office, Fife has led and supported multiple initiatives that strengthened the groundwork for this achievement, including:

Restoring and protecting arts and cultural staffing within the City of Oakland.
Creating the West Oakland Community Fund to reinvest in historically excluded communities
Advancing a Black New Deal study to expand economic opportunity for Black Oakland
Ensuring racial equity impact analyses for development proposals, improving access for Black businesses and Black contractors
Introduced legislation and budget amendments that formalized, protected, and expanded the BAMBD

“These efforts weren’t abstract,” Fife said. “They were intentional, coordinated, and rooted in a belief that Black arts and Black businesses deserve deep, sustained public investment.”

As part of the Cultural District designation, BAMBD will receive:

$10,000 over two years
Dedicated technical assistance
Statewide marketing and branding support
Official designation from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2030

This support will elevate the visibility of BAMBD’s artists, cultural organizations, small businesses, and legacy institutions, while helping attract new investment to the district.

“The BAMBD has always been more than a district,” Fife continued. “This recognition by the State of California gives us another tool in the fight to preserve Black culture, build Black economic power, and protect the families and institutions that make Oakland strong.”

For questions, contact Councilmember Carroll Fife at CFife@oaklandca.gov.