We sent the following letter to the City of Oakland on Monday, April 8, 2019
City Administrator Landreth:
East Bay For Everyone writes to register our frustration, based on recent reports, that the administration is not adequately monitoring and enforcing laws surrounding Owner Move-In (OMI) evictions
The Bay Area’s housing crisis requires that Oakland and the region writ large build many more homes at all income levels. Our organization supports individual housing developments and policy changes to advance this goal. In the interim, however, justice requires that we keep Oaklanders in their homes.
While we would like to see law amended to reform OMI evictions, the least the City of Oakland could do is to enforce existing law. That may require a new enforcement framework or additional resources. In any case, the status quo cannot continue. By failing to monitor and enforce the terms of OMI evictions, the City of Oakland is inviting property owners to profit from the displacement of Oaklanders.