Contact:
Maria Zamudio, Causa Justa :: Just Cause— 415.487.9203 ext. 207, maria.zamudio@cjjc.org
Sara Shortt, Housing Rights Committee— 415.703.8634 ext.106
What: Press Conference and Report Release
When: Monday, April 20, 2015 at Noon
Where: Corner of Cesar Chavez and Mission St., SF
On Monday, tenants and community organizations from the SF Anti-Displacement Coalition will hold a press conference in the heart of the Mission District to address the growing surge in evictions impacting San Francisco.
The event will announce the release of a new report on evictions in the city showing that attempts to evict tenants have increased by over 54% in the past five years. The report projects that eviction threats will reach even higher levels this year. Recent news shows that rents in San Francisco and the Bay Area continue to rise, with Forbes ranking San Francisco as the #1 worst city in the country for renters.
The report release comes as activism and organizing amongst tenant groups has also reached new heights. The Anti-Displacement Coalition is using the report release to launch a citywide campaign to educate tenants on how to fight unlawful evictions of all kinds. Why? Because #housingisahumanright
The effort begins with a Know Your Rights Fair being held in front of City Hall next weekend, Saturday, April 25th.
“We cannot wait for Sacramento to get the message that what we face is a humanitarian disaster in San Francisco,” said Maria Zamudio of Causa Justa. “Tenants need to take the initiative locally and assert their rights.” Organizations involved in the campaign, including local service providers, have found that when tenants fight back on unfair eviction attempts, they can often win, thus the campaign to make sure that all tenants know their rights and use them to combat evictions.
The location of the press conference Monday is a few doors down from a 12-unit apartment building where all the tenants recently received Ellis Act eviction notices. The report will also provide the most current data on Ellis Act evictions in the city, which are on the rise, as legislation to reform the law flounders in Sacramento.
Speakers at the event will include seniors who are facing eviction and representatives of the San Francisco Tenants Union, Community Tenants Association, Causa Justa :: Just Cause, Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco, Chinatown Community Development Center, and other organizations.
Copies of the report available here. #Housingisahumanright
Info on Know Your Rights Training
SF Tenants: “Knowledge is Power – Know Your Rights Training”
Tenants in San Francisco are facing harassment, bribes, Ellis Act evictions, lack of repairs, rent increases and so much more. But you do have rights! Come find out more about tenants rights in SF. The more information you are armed with, the more protection you have.
Join the SF Anti-Displacement Coalition on Saturday, April 24, 10AM-4PM for a day of workshops and info in Spanish, Cantonese and English.
Where? Tenderloin Community School, 627 Turk Street
Why? Because #housingisahumanright