Oakland Politics Week in Review, 4/24/2023
Oakland Politics Week in Review, 4/24/2023: Tam and Haubert Partner with Landlord Org on Fake Tenant Help Site; City Council Roundup Including Brooklyn Basin Expansion, Budget Process Ramp Up
ALCO Supervisors Tam, Haubert Promote Misleading California Apartment Association Tenant Eviction Help Website Instead of Alameda County’s Own Site
Alameda County Supervisors Lena Tam and David Haubert appear in a promotional YouTube ad for an error-riddled tenant information website launched this month by the California Apartment Association (CAA), a lobbying and advocacy group supporting rental housing owners. Tam and Haubert appear separately during the 15-second ad sitting in what seem to be official County offices, bordered on either side of the frame by US and California flags.
Produced in the form of a government PSA, the ad shows Tam prompting the viewer to “click here to find out your rights as a renter” as an interactive button appears on the screen*. The ad also ends listing the site address for the website, AlamedaRentersRights.com. "Alameda Renters Rights" also has the appearance of an official County tenant help site with the Tam/Haubert Youtube ad posted at the top of the website page.
While superficially "Alameda Renters Rights" appears to educate tenants on their rights as the ALCO Eviction Moratorium comes to an end, the failure of Tam, Haubert or CAA to link to the County’s own sponsored tenant information and help site–Alameda County Housing Secure–suggests that one of CAA's main goals with the site may be to misdirect users away from tenant-focused services. Tam has a long-standing relationship with landlord and property groups and specifically CAA; she received a $20K donation from CAA for her 2022 run for her current seat.
CAA is a large, influential organization that spent over $9MM in 2022 alone on campaign finance throughout the state to promote landlord and large-scale property owner interests.
"Alameda Renters Rights" Site Bare-Bones Compared to ALCO Site, "Housing Secure"
Alameda County began the Housing Secure program in 2018, and set up its tenant outreach website in 2021 in the midst of the pandemic, moratorium and the state's Emergency Rental Assistance Program for tenants and landlords. The Housing Secure site lists phone numbers and direct links to program partner tenant service providers specializing in advocacy, legal aid and counseling for tenants–organizations such as Causa Justa, East Bay Community Law Center and Legal Assistance for Seniors which provide free advice and legal services for tenants.
The information provided on the Housing Secure site is far more expansive than that on “Alameda Renters Rights”, with YouTube tutorials and specialized links for a number of issues spanning the gamut of tenant issues. The CAA’s site has three links to county and state service pages but gives no additional context or help in parsing them.
Serious Errors Mislead Tenants in "Alameda Renters Rights" Site
Compounding the issue, the bare-bones site that Tam and Haubert are promoting over the County’s site appears to contain serious errors. Jackie Zaneri, a Senior Attorney at ACCE, says that the information in “AlamedaRentersRights.com” could mislead tenants in certain types of dwellings into believing they are covered by protections that don’t apply to their rental housing.
“This website misstates the law on evictions and the county moratorium and provides incorrect information to Alameda County tenants about their legal rights and which laws cover them,” Zaneri said.
While “AlamedaRentersRights.com” states that all tenants have just cause protections under state law, for example, not all units are covered by these protections, leaving some tenants vulnerable to eviction for any reason. Tenants in most single-family homes and condos aren’t covered by the protections. Tenants living in units built within the last 15 years, or in units with affordable housing deed restrictions, aren’t protected under the state law, either.
Zaneri also notes that the CAA’s own landlord/member-focused site has correct information that differs from what’s on the tenant-focused site.
“Since the information on this website is different from what the CAA tells their own members, this seems intentional,” Zaneri says.
CAA Pays for "Alameda Renters Rights" Sponsored Search Ads
CAA is also apparently paying for targeted sponsored web search ads for “Alameda Renters Rights”, triggered by key terms like “Alameda”, "county", "tenant" and “moratorium.” Using all four of those terms, the CAA-sponsored ad link was the first result in a search carried out by the Oakland Observer on Sunday April, 30. Initial requests for comment by Tam and Haubert have not been met with a response.
Tam has received a large amount of financial support for her Board of Supervisors run from assorted landlord advocacy groups, well over $500K, aside from her $20K from CAA. Haubert has received funds from groups representing property and real estate interests as well. Tam notably changed the trajectory of a second vote on a package of tenant’s rights initially promoted by her late predecessor at BOS which ultimately failed due to her vote and Haubert’s.
At Council Tuesday:
Council Will Vote on Adding 600 Additional Units at Brooklyn Basin, but Marina Plan Shelved
At a public hearing Tuesday, the City Council will vote on several necessary pieces of legislation necessary to amend the Brooklyn Basin development plan to add an additional 600 units [for a total of 3700 units]. The addition of a Marina on the estuary adjacent to the area was previously included in the plan, but has since been removed. The plan comes with a $9 MM commitment to preservation and creation of affordable housing and an aspirational commitment for 20% Oakland hiring to build the new units. During the Community and Economic Development Committee’s deliberation on the project, the additions received mostly praise and little pushback. The item is the only non-consent legislation on Tuesday’s agenda and will be discussed in a public hearing.
Caltrans Transfer of Property for 42nd Ave Extension With Implications for Long-Time East Oakland Homeless Encampment
A proposed state land relinquishment for an extension of 42nd Avenue planned nearly two decades ago will be voted on at Council Tuesday. Placement on the consent portion of the calendar means it will likely receive little discussion. The land grant will shave off a portion of state-owned neutral ground between a retaining wall on the 880 off-ramp and the 8th St. remainder stub, allowing the creation of a direct path from 42nd through what is currently the 8th Street remainder. There are likely implications for the long-time homeless encampment in the area as the project begins to become a reality after over a decade of being moribund.
Legislation Will Expand the Measure KK Oversight Commission to Oversight on Measure U Affordable Housing Bond Funds, But With No Additional Duties
Legislation to expand the Measure KK Oversight Commission to include Measure U oversight will be voted on Tuesday on the Consent Calendar. The Affordable Housing And Infrastructure Public Oversight Committee reviews expenditures and projects related to Measure KK, but does not approve or suggest projects. Measure U is the successor bond measure to Measure KK, a ballot initiative that for several years used parcel-tax invested bond proceeds to fund city infrastructure and affordable housing projects. The legislation doesn’t expand the scope of the nine-member, mayor-appointed body. Both measures require a review and oversight body by law, the amendment to the Measure KK oversight law will meet the Measure U requirement.
Budget Process Begins with Brief on Calendar, Review of Instruction to Departments
A short budget outlook report is also on the consent calendar. The "outlook message" is a council requirement, and gives little new information about the process or decisions made by Mayor Sheng Thao, outside of a calendar of the budget process. (The Mayor’s proposed budget will be published Monday and discussed Wednesday at a Special Council meeting.)
The report calls the projected $345 MM biennial General Purpose Fund budget shortfall the “largest … in the City’s history.” The message notes that departments have all been asked to offer “balancing” proposals, with preferred reductions in service and preferred methods for increasing revenue.
The report’s “budget calendar” is below. There will be District Community budget forums through most of May. The deliberation process will begin in June, as the Council President presents proposed modifications to the Mayor's budget, in consultation with Council members. Council members will likely also individually present budget amendments. By law, the budget must be adopted by June 30, 2023, but if the Council were to miss that date, last year's budgetary allocations would continue until a new budget is voted in.
Council Will Consider Resolution in Support of OUSD Teachers, OUSD Employees as Teacher's Union Prepares for Potential Strike
Council will vote on a resolution in support of teachers and other OUSD employees, again on the consent calendar, on Tuesday. While the symbolic resolution mentions the Oakland Teacher’s Association vote this past week to authorize a strike, the resolution falls short of clearly supporting a strike by teachers.
* while the button was previously interactive, the current video has no interactivity and does not link to the site, a change that apparently occurred after Friday, when this publication originally reported on it.
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