Oakland may phase out eviction moratorium; county supervisor thinks he has a funding source for paying landlords

Another Alameda county prosecutor resigns, citing poor ethics in Pamela Price's DA office

Landlords protesting Oakland’s three-year-old eviction moratorium at City Hall on Tuesday evening. PHOTO/Seneca Scott

CITY NEWS

OAKLAND

—END OF MORATORIUM IS NEAR—The end of Oakland’s eviction moratorium may come in phases, according to proposed legislation being offered today by Oakland Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas and Councilmember Dan Kalb.

—The fate of Oakland’s eviction moratorium, coming on heels of the county’s soon-to-be expiring moratorium, will be heard at today’s Rules Committee meeting.

—Bas and Kalb hope to scheduled the proposed legislation at the Community and Economic Development Committee meeting on Apr. 11, and have it come before the full council on Apr. 18.

—Under the tentative timeline, gradual dissolution of Oakland’s eviction moratorium would begin on May 2, which nearly jibes with the end of the Alameda County’s moratorium.

—Bas and Kalb’s proposed legislation would dismantle the eviction moratorium in phases.

• May 1 - Aug. 31, 2023: Certain evictions will be allowed, such as nonpayment of rent, but only unpaid rent after May 1. 

• Sept. 1, 2023 : Eviction moratorium ends.

• July 1, 2024: Rent increase moratorium ends/

—It remains to be seen if the phasing out strategy will placate either side. As we’ve seen at the county level, tenants’ groups and landlords have largely resisted giving any ground to the other side.

—LANDLORDS OCCUPY CITY HALL—The proposed phase out of Oakland’s eviction moratorium comes a day after landlords held a rally at City Hall and voiced their displeasure with the moratorium at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

—The scene of landlords, not tenants, interrupting an Oakland City Council was definitely a flip of the script after years of tenants’ groups passionately pleading with the city council to better protect struggling renters.

—However, renters and their advocacy groups were also out in force urging for keeping the eviction moratorium intact.

—Also of note, former Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor spoke outside the council chambers in favor of ending the city’s eviction moratorium.

MORE INSIDE:

• COUNTY NEWS: Novel idea for paying back landlords

• Another assistant DA resigns

• Former deputy DA gives explosive interview

• Reparations discussion is coming soon to the East Bay.