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New: Measures Important to Berkeley Tenants on Council Agenda Tuesday (Public Comment)
Berkeley Tenants Union has three important items at the City Council on Tuesday.
About the Demolition Appeal (Item 21): If the City Council allows this demolition to go forward, the law prohibiting unmitigated demolition of rent controlled housing means nothing anymore, and all of Berkeley is at risk of being bulldozed to make way for luxury housing.
About changes to the Rental Housing Safety Program (Item 23): One reason developers give to tear down affordable older units is that they are in really bad shape. Never mind that they continue to rent them out while simultaneously making a claim that they are unsafe. In order to preserve our housing, we must make cyclical inspections a reality in Berkeley as they are in most other major cities.
November 17 will also see the Council discuss a Windfall Profits Tax on High Rents. There will be a special workshop at 5:30 PM in order for the Council to consider a ballot measure to increase the business license tax on larger landlords and use the money to building and rehab affordable housing, including the student co-ops.
For more info see http://berkeleytenants.org/
