Bay Area

City Council Saves Oakland from Largest Annual Rent Increase in City’s History

“With gas prices nearing $7/gallon, the increased costs of food and everyday expenses, I could not, in good conscience, allow this exorbitant spike to take effect,” said Councilmember Carroll Fife in an email newsletter. “Thousands of Oakland residents will rest a little easier knowing their housing is secure,” she continued. “I’m grateful for my policy staff as well as city staff and attorneys who moved with urgency to bring this ordinance forward before it was able to do serious and irreparable harm.”

Published

2 years ago

June 8, 2022

Oakland Post

Oakland apartment buildings

Councilmember Carroll Fife’s ordinance reduces inflated 6.7% allowable increase to a maximum of 3%, passes with six votes

By Ken Epstein

The Oakland City Council took a bold action this week to protect tenants from a huge increase in rents this year, which without council action was set to be one of the largest annual rent increases in city history.

Under the new ordinance, passed Tuesday, a proposed 6.7% allowable rent increase was reduced to a maximum of 3%.

The ordinance, introduced by Councilmember Carroll Fife, passed the Council Tuesday with six votes. Councilmember Noel Gallo voted no, and Councilmember Loren Taylor, a candidate for mayor, abstained.

“With gas prices nearing $7/gallon, the increased costs of food and everyday expenses, I could not, in good conscience, allow this exorbitant spike to take effect,” said Fife in an email newsletter.

“Thousands of Oakland residents will rest a little easier knowing their housing is secure,” she continued. “I’m grateful for my policy staff as well as city staff and attorneys who moved with urgency to bring this ordinance forward before it was able to do serious and irreparable harm.”

During hours of public testimony, tenants spoke about how the proposed increase would impact their lives. At a typical rent of $2050, a 6.7% increase would cost a renter $137.35 a month.

Several landlords who spoke at the meeting said they needed a larger than 3% rent increase to recoup COVID and utility losses. City staff responded that lost costs can be recovered in different ways despite the legislation.

Councilmember Fife has been pushing for increased tenant protections and low-rent housing as Oakland’s homelessness crisis continues to skyrocket — growing by 21% during the pandemic.

About 60% of Oakland residents are renters, and 51% of tenants are classified as very low-income, according to Fife.

Under Oakland’s rent control law, property owners can increase rents by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) each year, generally between 1% and 3%.

But inflation this year has meant a CPI of 6.7% this year, set to go into effect on July 1.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

1 day ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

5 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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Bay Area

State Controller Malia Cohen Keynote Speaker at S.F. Wealth Conference

California State Controller Malia Cohen delivered the keynote speech to over 50 business women at the Black Wealth Brunch held on March 28 at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center at 301 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco. The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

Published

7 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

American Business Women’s Association Vice President Velma Landers, left, with California State Controller Malia Cohen (center), and ABWA President LaRonda Smith at the Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the ABWA at the Black Wealth Brunch.

By Carla Thomas

The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

“Our goal is to educate Black and Brown families in the masses about financial wellness, wealth building, and how to protect and preserve wealth,” said ABWA San Francisco Chapter President LaRonda Smith.

ABWA’s mission is to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support, and national recognition.

“This day is about recognizing influential women, hearing from an accomplished woman as our keynote speaker and allowing women to come together as powerful people,” said ABWA SF Chapter Vice President Velma Landers.

More than 60 attendees dined on the culinary delights of Chef Sharon Lee of The Spot catering, which included a full soul food brunch of skewered shrimp, chicken, blackened salmon, and mac and cheese.

Cohen discussed the many economic disparities women and people of color face. From pay equity to financial literacy, Cohen shared not only statistics, but was excited about a new solution in motion which entailed partnering with Californians for Financial Education.

“I want everyone to reach their full potential,” she said. “Just a few weeks ago in Sacramento, I partnered with an organization, Californians for Financial Education.

“We gathered 990 signatures and submitted it to the [California] Secretary of State to get an initiative on the ballot that guarantees personal finance courses for every public school kid in the state of California.

“Every California student deserves an equal opportunity to learn about filing taxes, interest rates, budgets, and understanding the impact of credit scores. The way we begin to do that is to teach it,” Cohen said.

By equipping students with information, Cohen hopes to close the financial wealth gap, and give everyone an opportunity to reach their full financial potential. “They have to first be equipped with the information and education is the key. Then all we need are opportunities to step into spaces and places of power.”

Cohen went on to share that in her own upbringing, she was not guided on financial principles that could jump start her finances. “Communities of color don’t have the same information and I don’t know about you, but I did not grow up listening to my parents discussing their assets, their investments, and diversifying their portfolio. This is the kind of nomenclature and language we are trying to introduce to our future generations so we can pivot from a life of poverty so we can pivot away and never return to poverty.”

Cohen urged audience members to pass the initiative on the November 2024 ballot.

“When we come together as women, uplift women, and support women, we all win. By networking and learning together, we can continue to build generational wealth,” said Landers. “Passing a powerful initiative will ensure the next generation of California students will be empowered to make more informed financial decisions, decisions that will last them a lifetime.”