Oakland extends relocation payments to tenants for no-fault evictions
Oakland City Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan.
OAKLAND (Jeff Shuttleworth/BCN) - The Oakland City Council has voted unanimously to approve a uniform relocation ordinance which extends relocation payments to tenants who are displaced for owner or relative move-ins.
Oakland City Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan, who authored the ordinance, said it also extends payments to tenants who are displaced by condominium conversions.
In addition, Kaplan said, it creates a uniform schedule of relocation payments and conforms code compliance relocation amounts to those in the uniform schedule.
"Due to Oakland's exorbitant housing prices, many displaced tenants would be unable to relocate in the city if relocation payments are not authorized and face an increased risk of homelessness," Kaplan said in a statement.
Kaplan said, "The impacts of these no-fault evictions are particularly difficult for senior, disabled, and low-income tenants and tenants with minor children."
She said, "Because tenants displaced for no-fault evictions suffer similar hardships, including an increased risk of homelessness, they should all be eligible for relocation payments designed to mitigate these hardships and keep Oakland residents safe and sheltered."
According to Kaplan's office, many members of the public spoke in support of the ordinance at Tuesday night's City Council meeting, sharing personal stories of their struggles facing displacement and talking about the importance of protecting tenants in the current economy.