East Bay For Everyone applauds the Oakland City Council for placing expansion of Just Cause protections to owner-occupied duplexes and triplexes on the November 6, 2018 ballot. As long as our housing crisis persists, Oakland renters remain especially vulnerable to rent spikes, deteriorating housing conditions and eviction. Without Just Cause protections, landlords can evict tenants for no reason at all. Decommodification of housing through massive expansion of public housing is urgently needed to fully protect renters; Just Cause eviction protections are one step on that long road to utopia.
Existing Just Cause protections under Measure EE ensure that tens of thousands of Oaklanders in apartments are insulated from arbitrary evictions, but Oakland’s protections have gaps that must be filled in if we are to achieve true housing justice. Housing security enjoyed by many Oaklanders must be made a universal right through expansion to tenants living in smaller rentals. More tenant protections and expedited affordable housing are needed to truly stabilize our at-risk neighborhoods and give our city the capacity to not just survive, but flourish. Just Cause is an important step forward in protecting those Oaklanders most at risk of displacement.
Therefore, East Bay For Everyone wholeheartedly endorses the expansion of Just Cause protections on the November 6, 2018 ballot. Housing is a human right and we must utilize every means available to secure it for all. To that end, we look forward to canvassing in support of the measure this fall to make sure Oakland remains an inclusive community for everyone.