August 14, 2015
The new owner agreed to provide relocation assistance to tenants awaiting eviction at 910 Clinton St. They were supposed to leave by June 30 but will now have until October 12, rent-free.
Eighteen families were given eviction notices at the end of April but eight of the families refused to leave until the court processed their eviction.
The tenants were represented by Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County and Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto and were given organizing support by the San Francisco Organizing Project/Peninsula Interfaith Action. The mass eviction is a growing trend to push out working poor to maximize property owners’ profits, officials with SFOP/PIA said.
The tenants were evicted because the new owners want to replace the exterior and interior of the ailing building.
“Our communities need just cause for eviction protections to prevent this sort of displacement from happening in the first place. The relocation assistance that these residents obtained should be available for all renters evicted through no fault of their own,” says Daniel Saver with Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. “We encourage other residents to follow the lead of the tenants at 910 Clinton to organize and fight these cases as they arise, but it would be much more effective for our city councils to pass appropriate legislation that protects all of our renters.”
Organizations mentioned/involved: Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA)