2021

November 12, 2021 Newsletter

Next Renters Council General Membership Meeting / AD17 Special Election Endorsements

Updated time: Tuesday, November 16, 2021 - 7:30 to 9:30pm

The California Democratic Party is holding its Fall Executive Board conference online on Nov 15-21. The Renters Council will be meeting on Tuesday, Nov 16 on Zoom. Register/Join at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0oc--opz8tHN0H7I4n8fqCgeK54Lgy-pSm

We have moved our meeting back an hour to avoid conflicting with the CA Democrats Native American Heritage Month event, https://cadem.vote/nativeland

Agenda

1. Welcome

2. Approval of minutes

3. Approval of agenda

4. Treasurer Report (Vinnie Bacon)

5. Secretary Report (Alfred Twu)

a) CADEM Executive Board Meeting (Platform/Resolutions/Legislation)

b) Bylaws Amendment

6. Regional Reports:

a) Central CA Vice Chair (Arturo Rodriguez)

b) Southern CA Vice Chair (Andrew Lewis)

c) Northern CA Vice Chair (Igor Tregub)

7. Tenant Report (Housing Now / Francisco Duenas)

8. Legislature Housing Tour Update (Assemblymember Mia Bonta)

9. Housing Strike Force Update (Attorney General Rob Bonta)

10. CADEM Renters Council Action Items

a) Resolution

b) Legislation

11. Adjourn regular meeting

12. Assembly District 17 Special Election Candidate Forum (Northern CA Chair Igor Tregub)

Candidate Forum will be followed by an endorsement vote.

Provide Input on the Party Platform and Renters Council Goals

The party platform will be updated over the next few months. The Renters Council board plans to submit a summary of policy we would like to have in the party platform, which will also be our council's goals for the upcoming year. Members - we want to hear from you what you want us to prioritize. Please use this form here to send in your comments. https://forms.gle/QPjvbZPDsDPPc7rK8

2022 Dues can now be paid

Per our bylaws, membership dues need to be renewed every year by the first CA Dem convention, which will be in early March 2022 (tentatively scheduled to be in downtown Los Angeles). You can prepay your dues for 2022 / fill out a fee waiver now at https://www.cademrenterscouncil.org/become-a-member

Get Involved in Redistricting

Draft State Legislature and Congress maps are now available at https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/11_7_9_21. You can comment at https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/contact. Maps will be finalized late December. Many local redistricting efforts are also currently under way.

Get Involved in General Plan Housing Element updates

Once every several years, cities and counties update their general plan. Part of this process is the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), which sets each city's housing goal, and the Housing Element, where sites are identified for where new housing will be built. Details on how to provide input can be found at https://www.hcd.ca.gov/community-development/housing-element/index.shtml

September 19, 2021 Newsletter

Thank you for helping beat the Republican Recall!
The Renters Council distributed literature, ran online and print ads, and co-hosted phonebanks. Thank you to those who volunteered or donated to our efforts.

Ask Governor Newsom to Sign AB 1487: Legal Aid for Tenants
With the state eviction moratorium ending on Sept 30, there will be a huge need for legal services for tenants in places not covered by longer local moratoriums.

Assembly Bill 1487 (AB 1487) would establish a Homelessness Prevention Fund to pay for legal aid for California tenants who cannot afford a lawyer. The bill also designates 25% of the funding for inland and rural areas where few services are currently available.

Thanks to everyone's work, it has now passed the state legislature and is now at the Governor's desk. We need your help to ensure that the Governor signs this bill into law.

Organizations: Submit a Support Letter to Governor

Please use this template to complete a letter of support, and submit it to the Governor's Office ASAP (submittal instructions included on the template).

Individuals: Contact the Governor using this form, or call (916) 445-2841.

November CA Democrats Executive Board Meeting
The next CA Democrats conference is scheduled for mid-November. It will be remote.

Participate in State and Local Redistricting Efforts
The redistricting process for State Assembly, State Senate, and Congress is wrapping up in the next few months, with preliminary map drawing scheduled for October. Not as many people have commented yet compared to 2010, so get your comments in at https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/participate

Local redistricting for city council districts is also in progress in many cities, check your city website on how to participate.

Renters Council 2022 Endorsement Process

We'll be announcing the process and timelines soon! If you know candidates that may be interested, please ask them to become a member at https://www.cademrenterscouncil.org/become-a-member to get on our mailing list!

August 18, 2021 Newsletter

Renters Council August Meeting - Tuesday, 8/24, 8-9:30pm

We will be meeting as part of the CA Democrats' August E-Board online conference.

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqd-CvrzIoEt2QufbgCKrv7gZeiKv5yY3T

A tentative list of other events at the conference is here.

Agenda

Renters Reject the Recall Campaign - Updates

Bylaws Update

Formal update of the bylaws to give full voting rights to those who are not yet registered as Democrats, but intend to as soon as eligible (such as immigrants who are not citizens yet, or people under 18). Exact text of bylaws change:

Revise Article II, Section C. 1, to "1. Membership and full voting rights shall be open to all individuals who meet these membership requirements: a. the individual is a registered California Democrat, or who intend to register when eligible."

State Legislation Updates

The state legislature is now back in session. Updates will be provided on the status of legislation currently pending.

Announcements

Please let us know at cademrenterscouncil@gmail.com if you are a candidate that wants to speak to the Council for a couple minutes, or have any other announcements to make.

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VOLUNTEER TO STOP THE RECALL

This Saturday, August 21, we are co-hosting a lit drop in Berkeley from 1pm to 3pm with Cal Berkeley Dems and the Alameda County Democratic Party. Sign up at https://forms.gle/CdGvu4QNSmLvLSfD8

More events will be announced as they are scheduled. You can also find volunteer events - both in-person and making calls from home - every day at www.mobilize.us/cadems

If you would like to host a canvass in your area, let us know at cademrenterscouncil@gmail.com

August 12, 2021 Newsletter

One of the most important things going on in the next few weeks is the Vote No on the Recall campaign. Republicans want to remove Governor Newsom and replace him with a Republican, which would be devastating to California renters. Getting tenants to vote in this special vote-by-mail election will be critical.

In some counties, voters are already starting to receive their ballots and the rest will start mailing next week.

VOLUNTEER

This Sunday, August 15, we are co-hosting an in-person canvassing event in Berkeley from 10am to 2pm with Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin and the Alameda County Democratic Party. Sign up at https://www.mobilize.us/cadems/event/406679/

More events will be announced as they are scheduled. You can also find volunteer events - both in-person and making calls from home - every day at www.mobilize.us/cadems

If you would like to host a canvass in your area, let us know at cademrenterscouncil@gmail.com

DONATE

The Renters' Council board is fundraising for Vote No on the Recall campaign literature and online ads, focusing on tenants. You can donate to our campaign at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/california-democratic-renters-council-1

July 24, 2021 Newsletter

Dear Renters Council Members,

Endorsement Results

We have endorsed Mia Bonta for State Assembly District 18

We have endorsed No on the Recall of Governor Newsom

Proposed Bylaws Amendment

This will be voted on at our August meeting, which will take place during the CA Dem Exec Board meeting (8/25-8/29), exact date and time to be announced.

Housing Now! Summer Lobby Visits (7/19 to 8/9)

The Renters Council Board has been working with the Housing Now! coalition of tenant organizations to advocate for tenant rights legislation. Housing Now! has set up zoom calls with state legislators over the next three weeks. If interested, please email Francisco at fduenas@housingnowca.org and let him know which assembly and state senate district you live in.

Resolutions

Our secretary has worked on drafting two resolutions to be sent to the CA Democratic Party Resolutions Committee.
The first one is Resolution opposing the University of California demolishing rent-controlled housing without replacement. This resolution is in response to UC's plan to demolish 1921 Walnut Street, a rent controlled apartment building in Berkeley. It calls for a change in policy so this doesn't happen again. Delegates: you can sign on to the resolution here.

The second one is Resolution to End Exclusionary Zoning. It includes the main points from the Equitable Development letter including protecting communities at risk of displacement, affirmatively furthering fair housing, capturing value for low income housing, and keeping pollution away from where people live. Sign on here.

Our NorCal Vice Chair has worked on a Resolution in Support of Enhanced Access to Rooftop Solar and Net Metering to keep rooftop solar feasible for apartment residents and other low income communities. Sign on here.

Renters Income Tax Credit

While homeowners get the mortgage tax deduction that can be worth thousands of dollars a year, the Renters Tax Credit has been stuck at $60 since the 1970s. Our board member Esther Malkin is working on an effort to raise the Renters Tax Credit and change the way it's calculated to be based on income and rent. We are now working to get the party and elected officials on board. Please contact Esther at esthermalkin@yahoo.com if you want to help out.

Urge the State and local municipalities to distribute ‘Rental Debt’ payments (AB832)

Distribution of rent relief funds has been slow, urge your electeds to expedite. Questions/How to Urge your local State Electeds: Contact Andrew Lewis, So Cal Vice Chair at: Adlewis1606@gmail.com

California Democratic Party August Executive Board Meeting, August 25-29 (Virtual)

We will have our next membership meeting sometime during the E-Board meeting. Time and date are TBD. The state party will also be taking up additional legislation endorsements and resolutions, if you plan to send on in, the deadline is July 28. If you have questions about the process, contact alfredtwu@gmail.com

July 16, 2021 Newsletter

Here is the summary of the July 16 meeting, as well as a couple actions we're asking our members to take:

Bylaws Amendment

We passed the bylaws amendment to raise the endorsement threshold to 60%. It was also decided that the Assembly District 18 endorsement, which had already been announced, would be held under the previous threshold of 50%+1.

Exact text of bylaws change:

Add the following sub-section to Article V, Section A: Endorsements:

1. Endorsements will be made using Ranked Choice Voting. To be endorsed, a candidate must be ranked on at least 60% of all ballots cast.

Endorsement Vote on Assembly District 18 and the Governor Recall

Since no State Assembly District 18 candidate got enough votes to be endorsed in the primary by the Renters Council, we are having a second endorsement vote ahead of the runoff. However, since we are chartered by the California Democratic Party, and the CDP has endorsed a candidate, we are limited to either endorsing that candidate or not endorsing anyone. An email from OpaVote with your link to vote will be sent this weekend.

Also on the OpaVote ballot will be a vote for the Council to officially oppose the governor recall election. Ballots will be due at 8pm on Friday, July 23.

Renters Income Tax Credit

Urge the State and local municipalities to distribute ‘Rental Debt’ payments (AB832)

Distribution of rent relief funds has been slow, urge your electeds to expedite. Questions? Contact Andrew Lewis, So Cal Vice Chair at: Adlewis1606@gmail.com
Housing Now! Summer Lobby Visits (7/19 to 8/9)

Stop the Demolition of Rent Controlled Housing by UC Berkeley

While state law SB 330 was passed in 2019 to require private developers to replace any demolished rent controlled apartments with new rent controlled apartments and offer them to the existing tenants, this law does not apply to the University of California. Tenants at 1921 Walnut Street in Berkeley - an 8-unit rent controlled building scheduled to be demolished by the UC - are asking for emails to be sent to regentsoffice@ucop.edu no later than 2pm THIS SUNDAY 7/18 asking that the Regents not to approve any agreement that demolishes rent controlled housing until or unless the tenants are made whole and the units are replaced with other units at comparable rents (with rent control) or eight new units of permanent affordable housing.

Resolution to save rooftop solar

The Public Utilities Commission has a proceeding that would make solar more expensive for tenants in multifamily buildings. At the meeting we voted to sign on to a resolution to oppose this increase in solar costs. Please sign this petition to Governor Newsom - our goal is 100,000 signatures!

Minimum Standards for Equitable Development

The CADEM Renters Council has signed on to this coalition letter in support of minimum standards for equitable development. Several bills, most notably AB 1401, have so far fallen short of these standards, and we are supporting housing justice organizations from around the state in trying to have productive conversations with the authors in the hopes that they will be willing to accept our amendments. Please speak to your legislator about supporting these standards.

California Democratic Party August Executive Board Meeting, August 25-29 (Virtual)

We will have our next membership meeting sometime during the E-Board meeting. Time and date are TBD. The state party will also be taking up additional legislation endorsements and resolutions, if you plan to send on in, the deadline will be around the 25th. If you have questions about the process, contact alfredtwu@gmail.com

May 2021 News

May 15, 2021 Renters Council News:
AD18 Forum & Endorsements- Friday, May 21, 2021, 7 to 8:30pm - No Renter Left Behind Campaign - Oppose AB1139 - 4/29 Meeting Highlights

Assembly District 18 Candidate Forum & Endorsements- Friday, May 21, 2021, 7 to 8:30pm

This special election is to fill the seat formerly held by Rob Bonta in the East Bay before he became Attorney General. Election Day is June 29. The county will start mailing vote-by-mail ballots to registered voters on May 31. We have invited the six Democrats running:

James Aguilar
Victor Aguilar
Mia Bonta
Eugene Canson
Janani Ramachandran
Malia Vella

No Renter Left Behind - Extend and Expand California's Emergency Tenant Relief

Our movement has made some important progress over the past few months, even as our state’s recovery from the pandemic - with millions of people now vaccinated - continues to gather momentum. In January, California passed vital legislation (known as SB 91) to delay a tsunami of evictions, and give financial resources to many renter households. But while the rent relief program in SB 91 is ambitious the new law doesn't do enough to ensure that renters remained housed. This crisis doesn’t stop when everyone is vaccinated, it stops when our communities have fully recovered. Let California leaders know they need to do more by adding your name to this petition.

Recently, Gov. Newsom announced that the state is proposing to double the amount of rental assistance. While this is a welcomed news, SB91 left many of our most vulnerable renters out in the cold, not because of lack of funds, but because renter relief depends on the choices of their landlords and because the process for renters to document eligibility is overly complicated and impossible for many renters to complete. We call on the Governor and state leadership to work with renters NOW to get the details right to achieve that shared goal of a full recovery. If you agree that we need to secure an equitable and debt-free recovery for all Californians, sign our petition.

Oppose AB1139

Once again, the investor-owned utility industry is engaged in a profit grab of epic proportions - this time with an eye towards destroying rooftop-scale solar just as it is taking off in working and middle class communities, including hundreds of thousands of lower-income renters. AB 1139, written by these utilities, is bad for tenants, bad for homeowners, bad for the climate, bad for equity, and must be stopped outright. Here are quick actions you can take RIGHT NOW to fight back.

- Take 30 seconds to sign this petition!

- Take another 15 seconds to contact your State Assemblymember !

- If you're able to get your organization to sign on in opposition, please complete this form!

- If you're in the Sacramento area, please join us for a socially-distanced rally in front of the state Capitol Wed May 19 10 am - noon!

April 29 Renters Council meeting highlights

- Over 80 members attended

- Attorney General Rob Bonta gave an update and took audience questions

- We heard from 8 candidates for state assembly or senate

- We discussed tenant rights and housing legislation supported by the Housing Now coalition. Many of these bills, such as AB854 (Ellis Act reform), AB71 (tax on multinational corporations that funds affordable housing), AB328 (Re-entry housing for people who have completed their time i prison), AB1188 (rental registries), AB1199 (tax on corporate landlords who own lots of houses), and SCA2 (repeals barriers to public housing in the CA constitution), are now also supported by the California Democratic Party.

- Our bylaws were amended. Board expanded to have 5 members at large.

- 161 votes were cast in our board elections. Results:

Chair: Mari Perez-Ruiz

Treasurer: Vinnie Bacon

Secretary: Alfred Twu

Northern Vice Chair: Igor Tregub

Central Vice Chair: Arturo Rodriguez

Southern Vice Chair: Andrew Lewis

At Large: Esther Malkin, Susie Shannon, Imber Anakata, Monica Madrid, Alireza Mosallaie

You can view the full meeting minutes here.

March 3, 2021 Newsletter

Candidates Forum with CA Democratic Party Chair Candidates Rusty Hicks and Delaine Eastin

Wednesday, March 10, 2021, 6 to 7pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZclcuGrpjkiHNaSBRTPr1mByp03xigLAiVP

CA Democratic Renters Council - General Membership Meeting & Board Elections

We will be having our general meeting and board elections the last week of April as part of the 2021 CA Democratic Party Convention. The following positions are up for election:

- Chair

- SoCal Vice Chair

- Central Vice Chair

- Northern Vice Chair

- Secretary

- Treasurer

- Officer at Large (2 positions)

For more information, including forms for filing to run and/or requesting a ballot, go to

https://www.cademrenterscouncil.org/boardelections