Governor Brown recently signed into law AB 291 (Chiu), the Immigrant Tenant Protection Act, which will go into effect on January 1, 2018. In the context of Trump’s election and the escalating housing crisis in the Bay Area, too many tenants found themselves having to choose between the risk of homelessness and the risk of deportation if they stood up for their rights. The law prohibits landlords from disclosing information about a tenant’s immigration status in order to pressure them to move, and also makes discrimination based on immigration status illegal.
Of course, much more needs to be done to protect tenants from illegal evictions and harassment – including making sure our existing laws are enforced. On Saturday October 14 from 10am - 4pm at the Richmond ACCE office (322 Harbour Way #25, Richmond), ACCE and Tenants Together will host a Richmond Tenants’ Rights Counselor Training. It will cover basics of the new Richmond Rent Control and eviction protections. It will focus on strategies to support and counsel tenants facing unjust and illegal evictions, rent increases, and harassment. The aim of this training is for Richmond tenant advocates, any allied groups, and new volunteer counselors to learn how to use Measure L to keep community members in their homes and stop illegal rent increases and harassment. The training will set out a few different models that tenant groups in different cities who have rent control have used to counsel, defend and organize tenants.
If you want to know more about how to defend yourself and/or support your neighbors against unjust evictions, we encourage you to attend! If you are planning to attend, or have any questions about accessibility, call Sara at (323) 519 1081. Lunch & snacks will be provided!