Bay Area

Housing Justice Advocacy Groups Call for Rent Freeze

Published

6 years ago

March 26, 2020

Tenants and members of ACCE Action, Bay Area TANC, East Bay Housing Organizations, East Bay Democratic Socialists, and MOMS 4 Housing marched together on Nov 23, 2019, in Oakland’s March for Housing Now. These same groups and over 140 housing organizations are now calling for a rent freeze due to the COVID19 Pandemic. One marcher holds a sign reading “HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT,” a rallying cry that ACCE Action often uses. Photo by Zack Haber.

In the wake of the housing crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, housing justice advocacy organizations and tenants are calling on California leaders to freeze rent, put a moratorium on all evictions, and allow unhoused people to move into empty units.

“Rent and mortgage payments must be frozen as long as people are unable to work because of COVID-19, and any rent and mortgage debt accumulated during this time must be forgiven,” reads an open letter that Alliance of Californians for Community (ACCE) addressed to California’s leaders.

A poll conducted by NPR and PBS taken on March 13and 14 showed that 25% of people making 50,000$ or less in the United States had already lost their job or had their hours cut due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the percentage of lower-income people who’ve lost work is likely much higher in California and over a week later, where Governor Gavin Newsom put a statewide “shelter in place” order in place.

Since a state mandate has prevented so many people from working, advocacy groups and tenants claim renters can’t earn money to pay rent. The state mandate requires residents to “stay home or at their place of residence” except for essential jobs, shopping for essential items, and outdoor exercise. Advocacy groups say that unsheltered communities present a public health risk during the pandemic, but some have suggested that empty housing units, empty publicly owned buildings, and hotel units could be used to house the unsheltered.

“For the sake of humanity — everyone who wants to be brought indoors needs to be brought in immediately. All publicly owned property and vacant units — including luxury units — need to be opened up to currently homeless people,” reads ACCE’s letter.

On March 20, a coalition called Housing Now! sent a similar open letter to Newsom making almost the same demands as ACCE’s letter, though the letter stopped short of advocating for housing people in currently empty units. Around 150 California organizations signed the letter including Causa Justa / Just Cause, East Bay Democratic Socialists of America, and California YIMBY.

Around 25 California elected officials signed the letter including Berkley’s Mayor, Jesse Arreguin, and Oakland City Council member Nikki Fortunato Bas and City Council President Rebecca Kaplan.

While housing justice advocacy groups have called on leaders to change policy, groups of residents are confronting power directly by moving into vacant housing units and/or preparing to refuse to pay rent through rent strikes.

On March 14, an unhoused man and two families moved into a vacant home in the El Sereno neighborhood of Los Angeles. On March 18, a group of unhoused and housing insecure residents who call themselves “Reclaim Our Homes,” moved into 11 more homes in the same area. CalTrans owns all 12 homes and planned to destroy them to extend the 710 Freeway, but the agency has left them empty even after their plans fell through in 2018.

On March 16, Station 40, a multi-racial working class collective who’ve rented their home in San Francisco for 17 years announced they are going on a rent strike.

“Now more than ever, we refuse debt and we refuse to be exploited. We will not shoulder this burden for the capitalists,” the collective wrote in an open letter, addressing their rent strike.

Bay Area Tenant and Neighborhood Councils (TANC), a group of Bay Area tenants who organize into tenant unions that then make demands on landlords has released a statement called “Rent Suspension Now!,” which also calls for a rent freeze. The statement acknowledges that though Alameda County Sheriff’s office has committed to currently not enforcing evictions, there must be a guarantee that evictions related to current lost wages not occur in the future.

“During the crisis, rent must be completely forgiven; there should be no expectation to pay it now, or ‘back pay’ it in the future. Nobody should profit from this crisis,” TANC’s statement reads.

TANC is currently accepting members. Tenants who want help unionizing can join TANC at baytanc.com/signup/.

Zack Haber

Posts by Zack Haber

Related Topics:Alliance of Californians for Community COVID-19 rent freeze

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Bay Area

IN MEMORIAM: Longtime OUSD Employee Debra King-Cooper, 73

Longtime OUSD Employee Debra King-Cooper, 73 Caption: Debra King-Cooper. Courtesy photo. Special to The Post Debra King-Cooper, a beloved mother, grandmother, queen, sister, church member, caregiver, and matriarch, transitioned peacefully on May 20 surrounded by family and love i

Published

11 hours ago

June 17, 2026

bpusa-syndication

Debra King-Cooper. Courtesy photo.

Special to The Post

Debra King-Cooper, a beloved mother, grandmother, queen, sister, church member, caregiver, and matriarch, transitioned peacefully on May 20 surrounded by family and love in the comfort of her home. To her children, she was royalty, grace, strength, and unconditional love embodied.

Debra Diane Edgar was born on May 28, 1952, in San Francisco, California, to Charles Edgar Sr. and Mamie Arthur Edgar. She was raised alongside her younger brother, Charles Edgar Jr., affectionately known as “Little Brother” or “Lil Bruh.” She also shared close bonds with her older siblings Carol Edgar-Lang, Maryann Edgar Calloway, and Lonnie Lewis Sr.

A proud product of San Francisco’s historic Fillmore District, Debra attended Andrew Jackson Elementary School, where she met her lifelong best friend and adopted sister, Lynn Green, in the fifth grade. She later attended Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary School, Roosevelt Junior High School and Thomas Jefferson High School.

Debra’s mother transitioned when she was only 17 years old, and her father transitioned when she was 23. Despite these profound losses, Debra remained grounded through the love and support of extended family and lifelong family friends,

In 1971, she married Harold King. On Sept. 24, 1972, they welcomed their first son, Dajuan Artese King, affectionately called “Pop” or “Poppa.” On Aug. 5, 1976, they welcomed their second son, Dante Dupree King, affectionately called “Tay” or “Taboocoo the Baby.”

After her divorce in 1982, Debra assumed full responsibility for raising her sons.

She supported Dajuan’s passion for football by purchasing sports equipment and attending games faithfully. She supported Dante’s love of music by enrolling him in the San Francisco Boys Choir, Oakland Boys Choir, and the Castlemont Castleers.

Professionally, Debra built an exceptional career. She worked at Blue Shield of California from 1973 until 1994, earning multiple promotions.

She later joined the Oakland Unified School District, initially in a temporary role before being promoted into management within the Labor Relations Department. She retired from OUSD in 2015 after years of distinguished service. During her years at OUSD, she built meaningful friendships with her colleagues.

Faith was central to Debra’s life. During the 1980s, following personal hardship, she joined Love Center Church under the leadership of Bishop Walter Hawkins, where she brought her children regularly. She later became a member of Triumphant: A Church Without Walls Ministries under Pastor Dr. Larry Short, who became a beloved spiritual mentor.

After Triumphant closed in 1992, Debra joined Cosmopolitan Baptist Church in Oakland under the leadership of Pastor Larry Ashley, where she remained for the rest of her life.

At Cosmopolitan, she worked in numerous ministries. She served on the usher board, sang in the choir, participated in the AIDS ministry during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, helped feed and support unhoused community members, and mentored and supported a group of young girls.

After retirement, she cared for older adults in her church community, driving them to appointments, cleaning their homes, managing finances, preparing meals, and helping families navigate funeral arrangements after loved ones transitioned.

Even while battling Stage 4 cancer herself, she continued caring for others.

Debra was preceded in death by her parents, Charles Edgar Sr. and Mamie Arthur Edgar; her brothers, Lonnie Lewis Sr. and Charles Edgar Jr.; her sisters, Maryann Edgar Calloway and Victoria Stephenson Knight; and her adopted mother, Clara Oliver.

She leaves to cherish her memory her beloved sons, Dajuan King and Dante King; grandson, Tiyler Dajuan Artese King; sister, Carol Edgar-Lang; goddaughters Monique Belle and Ricketa Matthews Jones (Leonard); daughter-in-love Quiona Sullivan; son-in-love Marcel Walker; sister-in-law Delores Lewis; adopted sisters and lifelong friends Lynn Green, Barbara Stephenson Hill, and Sarah Fine; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, great-nieces, great-nephews, extended family members, her church family and dear friends.