Candidate for
Rent Stabilization Board Commissioner; City of Berkeley

I have a great love for this well-planned and diverse community, a history of community service and a keen interest in landlord-tenant law. I currently serve on the Berkeley Rent Board. I enjoy the work and I think my fellow Commissioners would agree that I've been a good addition.

I am the Choice of Berkeley Tenants. I was selected by majority vote at the July 25 Berkeley Tenant Convention, along with local organizer Asa Dodsworth and my fellow Commissioners Webster, Townley, Blake and the incomparable Chairperson Lisa Stephens.

You can learn more about how to help with our campaign here: http://berkeleyrentboard.org/

I'm on the very bottom of the Rent Board choices - I hope you will find me there!

My interest in landlord-tenant matters began over a decade ago out of selfish circumstance: As rents around us continued to rise, each unit in our small building of longtime tenants was served with a huge rent increase. The rent was going to triple! We held a building meeting, and I volunteered to contact the SF Rent Board and the Tenants Union. Our building organized, defeated the illegal rent increases, worked with the Building Inspectors to gain repair of longstanding defects which threatened our beautiful home, paid for the owner's capital improvements, and opposed a new unit built without a permit at the Planning Commission.

Once my home was stable, I chose to volunteer at the San Francisco Tenants Union, which had been instrumental in assisting myself and my good neighbors. I became a tenants rights counselor, and was soon active in training other counselors. I also began fundraising for the group, putting on events and presenting tenant workshops. We started an innovative program to check on properties subject to owner move-in, which we dubbed the Eviction Police.

In 2002, I formed a bilingual Neighborhood Watch which focused on positive, empowering things neighbors could do to make the area less attractive to criminals. For example, I networked with artists, residents, and property owners to have murals painted in our alley.

In 2006, I was hired by the Eviction Defense Collaborative in San Francisco. The SF EDC assists 90% of all San Francisco tenants who respond to their eviction lawsuit and provides cash assistance for tenants who fell behind during unfortunate circumstance, but have the ability to pay their ongoing rent.

Last year, I moved to West Berkeley because my partner and I purchased a foreclosed duplex. Prior to the foreclosure, the building was 100% owner-occupied. My former Mission District neighbors moved with us and rent the back unit.

This spring, I was appointed to the Rent Stabilization Board. In addition to my general duties as a Commissioner, I chair the Ad-Hoc Committee on Waivers, and I serve on the Outreach and Eviction/Section 8/Foreclosure Committees. It is a great honor to serve my new community, and I hope to be able to continue to do so, for the work has just begun!