As part of Affordable Housing Month in the East Bay (organized by East Bay Housing Organizations), we are delighted to have our May social in a Berkeley community exemplifying affordable senior living options where residents care for one another

Join us in person for a topical conversation and light refreshments.

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DRAFT text below

 

Wednesday March 14
1pm - 4pm
In-Person Location Strawberry Creek Lodge (Hybrid may be possible)
Social/Networking
Workshop:

title: Aging in Community - Opportunities and Obstacles
Tour

Gray Panthers Berkeley East Bay
Strawberry Creek Lodge Tenants Council and Board of Trustee
EastBayGrayPanthers.org for calendar and program updates

Fostering mutual care
Tenants in affordable senior housing - what do we want; what do we need?
Challenges and Obstacles

Gray Panther Members usually gather socially most second Wednesdays
each month. In May we'll be gathering at Strawberry Creek Lodge, the
oldest senior affordable housing community in Berkeley, The public is
also invited for East Bay Affordable Housing Month, Speakers from
Strawberry Creek Lodge Tenants Council,  and other seniors living
similar East Bay Gray  Panthers and Berkeley Cohousing

We'll have tea and light refreshments in the garden, opportunity to
hear speakers and join discussions on key topics.  Residents, staff,
and board members of affordable housing and cooperative developers are
welcome to learn from residents of multiple senior buildings what the
secrets of growing a strong sense of community as an essential part of
aging well.
Address:
The Lodge ground floor and garden are wheelchair accessible, van
drop-off is available, but Parking is on street only; Easily
accessible by AC Transit 72, 51, 88 and North Berkeley BART,  electric
bike stations are close by.
1PM greetings in the garden,

1:PM Doors Open, Welcomes and Sign-ins
1:30 to 2:30 Speakers from Strawberry Creek Lodge Tenants Council, the
SCL Foundation, SAHA, East Bay Gray  Panthers and Berkeley Cohousing.
2:30 - 3:30 - Q&A - Small group discussions in the garden and
community rooms and tours
3:30 - 4PM Wrap-up, Clean-up, and goodbyes

The History the Strawberry Creek Lodge; Health and Wellness practices;
Facing Issues and Each Other; Getting the bugs out of self-governance

Musical entertainment produced by Carl.

 

11 rsvps rsvp

Housing For All / Housing As A Human Right

Ending Mass Incarceration and Creating Re-Entry Options

Our featured speaker this month was Xavier Johnson, Director of Policy Justice for the Just Cities Institute, along with a speaker from All of Us or None, a project founded and led by formerly incarcerated advocates.

Johnson (left) is a former tenants attorney with Centro Legal in Oakland, Chair of the Berkeley Housing Advisory Commission, and elected Commissioner on the Berkeley Rent Board.

This meeting was entirely virtual, on Zoom, a recording is below.

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Also on this meeting's agenda:

• • Planning our booth at the annual Solano Stroll street fair in North Berkeley on Sunday, September 8
    
    Robert and Raines are coordinating, and we've got a great location at the Top of Solano! We're planning lots of fun activities with partners. Learn more and sign up to be a part of our presence there.
    
    
  • Our September social: new host? Or cancel for this month?
    
    Neither Betsy or Carol or Raines can make the usual second-Wednesdays date, but we may have someone else to lead it.
    
    
  • The California Alliance for Retired Americans (CARA) Candidate Forum Tuesday, September 10 (virtual and in-person). Learn more and RSVP here.
    
    
• A just-scheduled in-person talk Wednesday morning, September 11, by Alameda County D.A. Pamela Price, on Fraud and Elder Abuse. Location TBD.
  
  
• Nominations for the Gray Panthers of Berkeley and the East Bay Board of Directors are now open!
  
  The Board will present a slate at our September meeting, but nominations remain open for all voting members until the elections in October.
  
  If interested or curious, please contact Co-convenors Carol Crooks or Betsy Morris to learn more or join us for a Board Meeting (we are seeking a Board Secretary).
  
  Board members serve for two-year terms.
  
  
• There will be time also for action updates and announcements.

The June East Bay Gray Panthers Speaker Meeting!

Purely virtual - from your home via Zoom. We don't have a recording but here are links to what we discussed.

THE LONG-TERM HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IS ON LIFE SUPPORT.  MORE THAN TWO MILLION CASES OF ELDER ABUSE AND NEGLECT ARE REPORTED EVERY YEAR.   I am just one of the millions who had absolutely no  idea how broken and corrupt the nursing home system truly is until I attempted to navigate it.  
                                        -- Susie Singer Carter, filmmaker

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Speaker Meetings are regular gatherings on the Fourth Wednesday of most months. We focus on special topics with guest speakers as well as highlighting Gray Panther and partner activities

For many Berkeley events of interest, see Kelly Hammargren's Activist Diary in the Berkeley Daily Planet, at https://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/ - click Current Issue for the latest updates. 

Currently the Monthly Meeting and Board Meetings are by zoom or phone-in but we are scheduling occasional outdoor and safe in-person gatherings in 2024! 

Get in touch with any questions: 510-842-6224 voice or text

The May East Bay Gray Panthers Speaker Meeting!

Purely virtual - from your home via Zoom. Recording is here. Transcript and Chat log are below.

Housing as a Human Right

Lessons for the Bay Area from the 4^th International Social Housing Festival

 

1:30 Welcome:

Convener: Betsy Morris, PhD

... and more action updates from members and the community.

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www.eastbaygraypanthers.org

*******************

Join or renew your voting membership ($35/year) DONATE at:

www.eastbaygraypanthers.org

Call 510-842-6224

Follow us on Facebook!

**************

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Speaker Meetings are regular gatherings on the Fourth Wednesday of most months. We focus on special topics with guest speakers as well as highlighting Gray Panther and partner activities

For many Berkeley events of interest, see Kelly Hammargren's Activist Diary in the Berkeley Daily Planet, at https://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/ - click Current Issue for the latest updates. 

Currently the Monthly Meeting and Board Meetings are by zoom or phone-in but we are scheduling occasional outdoor and safe in-person gatherings in 2024! 

Get in touch with any questions: 510-842-6224 voice or text

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Chat log:

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Transcript (automated, approximate)

00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:07.000
We're going to start off and I just like to welcome everybody and I like to thank you for the introductions.

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I like to thank you for the introduction because it kind of gives me a handle. And we are here in the month of May for a affordable housing month.

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Yay, this is also election year people spread the word. Wow for barons, we need that to pass through.

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So with that being said I like to welcome everybody individual organizations that you're representing to this meeting because this is really an important meeting.

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We really need to begin to better because we need to make some traction on things happening. We all know that there is a crisis.

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We, point in time countess occurred. January, I think it was the 25.th

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And it went down, but not. It went out, but not substantially. And we also have to be mindful of the fact of the weather.

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When the count happened. And so with that being said, we want to keep making inroads in organizing, organizing people.

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Or housing, having housing as a human right. We want to take away. The monetization of housing here in North America.

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And so I'm gonna pass the mic on. To then.

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Okay, thank you, Arlene.

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Sure thing.

00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:45.000
Appreciate that. Thanks for moderating this. This is like a lovely intro. I just want to offer everybody a big warm Ep Ho, East Bay Housing Organizations, welcome.

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And a huge thanks to you guys, the East Bay Gray Panthers and the other Panthers that are here today for pulling this together and for what you're about to present.

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We're really excited that this is part of affordable housing month this year. We at, have been for 40 years working with our members to produce and preserve and protect affordable housing throughout the East Bay.

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And you know all of us in the East Bay have certainly been touched by this crisis. We're really familiar with the problem, but we're not always sure what the solutions might be.

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And this is really solvable, but the only way we can do that is with people power. So.

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1st off, we'd like to start by celebrating our wins. There's been millions of dollars raised for affordable housing.

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This year, new affordable homes built and passage of tenant protections. So those are huge winds that we're thrilled about.

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And that's part of our celebration this, this month. And if the other part of our celebration this month are all the other events happening.

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I'll put in the chat a link to the other events that are free, the part of the celebration this month.

00:02:51.000 --> 00:03:20.000
So you guys can, oh, thanks Kiki. Kiki already put it in the in the chat so you can see what other events are happening and hopefully you can enjoy some of those but also the other things we want to share with you something that we could all sort of engage in right now in our lean you were starting to talk about this was 2 of our major ballot measure campaigns were gearing up for the 2020

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4 ballot. 1st off is the 9 county Bay Area regional bond project. It's gonna raise 10 to 20 billion for new affordable homes across the region.

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I see some nodding head so I think you guys know what I'm talking about. The second ballot measure would be to reduce the voter approval threshold for affordable housing.

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Bonds to a simple majority down from the 2 thirds required right now. So it also looks like you guys are familiar with this, but, we'll also put a link in the chat for, the Bay Area.

00:03:51.000 --> 00:04:02.000
Housing for all so you can get engaged as well and help push these measures through and get them approved in 2020 this year.

00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:07.000
That is that ACA one. Is that the measure?

00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:15.000
I think that's the name of it. Kiki, do you know if that's the name of it or Jeff?

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ECA one is the name of the bill that would put it on the ballot. It hasn't been on place so it doesn't have a proposition number yet.

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Okay, thank you.

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Thanks, Joe.

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So we'll put the Bay Area housing for all.org. Link in the chat for you so you can follow that as it develops.

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We also want to highlight for you the, study room. You can go to a steady room.

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Will also put this link in the chat. You can go there to learn more about the history of our housing crisis.

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Also about the work that's being done to address it. And lastly, I just want to invite everybody who's not already a member of EPO to join us as a member.

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It's a wonderful organization and we would just love for you to become active. Incredibly active group. And you're probably already members, but if there any of you that are not, we'd love for you to become a member and get active with our committees and the link is just Kiki just put that in the chat.

00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:30.000
And thank you, Kiki. And if you guys haven't met Kiki yet, she's our chief operating officer at Evo, our fabulous Kiki and she's here today.

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She's also a wealth of information as is Jeff. Who oh yeah, Kiki saying reach out to her if, you need anything and, Jeff is or chief legislative strategist.

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So he, is another great resource. So anyway, hope you enjoyed the event. And thanks again, Arlene, for, moderating this.

00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:58.000
Thank you so much, Ben. I really appreciate that information. And really kind of bringing this up to speed on what's going to be happening this year because we have some really important things that are going to be happening this year.

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And we want to, we really want people power. As you said, we want people power to back these things because we need movement.

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And the only way we have more open is with people power. We have to participate. So with that being said, my, My next introduction is going to be.

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Art from the San Francisco Bay. San Francisco Great Panthers and art oh boy I went to San Francisco I'm just gonna say this quickly I went to the meeting and I was just so So.

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Impressed with the education I got just by attending meetings. Sometimes just by attending meetings, you get educated on so many things.

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And so I'd like to bring art on and so that he could share some information with us. Alright.

00:06:53.000 --> 00:07:05.000
Thank you, Arlene. Yeah, I was brought on to. Provide an introduction to one of our major presenters today and that is Betsy Morris.

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She's the co convener of the Berkeley East Bay Grey Panthers as many of you know She and I are also members of the National Council, Great Panther Networks, Issues Committee.

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As well as the National Council of Great Panther Network Senior Housing Subittees. Both of which meet monthly with great panther members from all over the country.

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Betsy as you will if you don't already know that you will find out is a very well-informed advocate for an activist on housing.

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Issues and with her extensive background activism and expertise has provided valuable input. To a National Council of Great Panther networks, gray paper.

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On the US nursing home crisis, which we put out. Previously and is now involved in the effort to create another gray paper this time on our national affordable housing crisis.

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She's traveled far and wide, especially in Europe with her partner and coconvenor Raines Cohen.

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To gather information and study examples of how people and organizations in other countries innovate to create affordable housing where they live.

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And if Betsy is ready, I am honored to present to you now Betsy Morris.

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Drumroll, please.

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Okay.

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Okay. Benson, do you hear the drum roll? Okay.

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We might be, I know she said she had some internet, issues going on, which is that.

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I could.

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Is, available.

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You have to mute me.

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Might be 2 different. Vocal voice.

00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:09.000
Sources right now so shut they should shut down one

00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:10.000
Yeah.

00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:17.000
So Rains has 2 on, he needs once so he doesn't get the echo. Yeah.

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Well, we're waiting, there's a few other members of the National Council, Great Panther networks here.

00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:31.000
I want to recognize Carol Crookes of Berkeley, Grey Panthers. Richard Solomon of Santa Barbara Grey Panthers and Michael David Bendor.

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Of is it the Ann Arbor, Great Panthers? Please correct me if I'm wrong about that, Michael.

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We're technically the. Public citizens of Washington. Having changed your name to try to get more diverse population.

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Did you hear me, Art?

00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:09.000
Yes, thank you, Michael. Yeah, these bodies, the, the national council, great power networks have been meeting for several years.

00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:10.000
Okay.

00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:18.000
The issues committee. 1st and then the senior housing subcommittee group out of the the emerging COVID pandemic when it was noticed that people in nursing homes were dying in great numbers.

00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:23.000
You're gonna show this. Show me first, st okay. All right. I think we're ready.

00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:25.000
We can hear you, Betsy.

00:10:25.000 --> 00:10:35.000
Yeah. The technical details of multi devices. I should say, and 1st off, I want to thank.

00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:47.000
With this way? Okay, I wanna thank. Arlene who is been a gray panther member for I don't know a few years.

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And has become a partner in crime. She refuses to serve on the board, but is instead active with poor people's campaign and and and advisory boards all over the country i mean i'm always in awe of the connection she has made and I'm also just incredibly grateful to have found a kind of sister from another mother, soul mate, intellectual, just, just, fabulous.

00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:27.000
And she knows how to run a meeting, especially a large public event. So, I just wanna say.

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Carol Crookes is my co-convener and I'm incredibly grateful for her because as verbose as I am, she is cuts to the quick.

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She cuts. She's good. And I also just need to say that my partner, my husband Rains Cohen is my tech support.

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And I guess sometimes my punching bag for frustrations, but I want to thank him enormously for getting this complex setup.

00:11:55.000 --> 00:12:05.000
And we'll just say that. It's it's a privilege to have so many. Members of the affordable housing.

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Month that should say affordable housing month and I'm grateful that EPO is here that said this is purely the work of myself, not, to blow myself up, but just to say none of the other organizations except for my Grey Panthers chapter and the National Council.

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Has endorsed has has they are the folks who've given me this platform to share this information with all of you and I'm very, very grateful for that.

00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:44.000
So, but we're not affiliated directly with EBHO. This is not an EBHO presentation.

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And the only people I'm speaking for is myself in my chapter. But I'm hoping very soon we'll have other, other allies as a result of this.

00:12:55.000 --> 00:13:06.000
So I'm going, rains is going to be changing to our next slide. This is the The title of this talk is Housing as a Human Right.

00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:13.000
Lessons from Europe and the International Social Housing Festival. 1st I'm just gonna.

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So next, I should say, what are we at, Rreens? Okay. The, I'm sorry, go back.

00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:30.000
I've got 2 devices here. I am so high tech. So, There.

00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:40.000
No. Okay, so. All of this, this is a work in progress very much, but what do we mean by housing as a human right?

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Well, when the United Nations was founded, established in San Francisco. The, a statement of housing as a human right is part of the universal declaration of human rights of the UN.

00:13:55.000 --> 00:14:05.000
And signed by many signatories and that's important because this is something many countries including our own signed on to this declaration.

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But, and under international law. Treaties that the US has signed. Everyone has the right to adequate housing.

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Adequate housing is more than just a roof over one's head. It includes security of tenure.

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Written, which means that you know how long you have it for, protection against forced depictions and availability of service.

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These languages are actually from UN documents. And just to say that, it's, it's an aspirational document and who's going to make it happen?

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We are, not governments, even though they signed in our name. So a few years back, 2017, 2,018, our Greg Panthers chapter convened a public meeting about the human rights civil rights of the unhoused.

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And it was attended by some of the incredible visionary leaders. Around the Bay Area but one several in particular who had started the here their camp here in Berkeley.

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They had started in San Francisco and been pushed out and pushed out and moved multiple times. And they were the founders of 1st they came for the homeless.

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And 1st they came for the homeless came to our meeting with. With Michael John Civil Liberties Institute, Nicole John.

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Of an established. Advocacy organization that was behind that supported the UN and this this human right. Housing is a human right.

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And Fagan Ginger came and spoke to 90 people. And as a result of that, we.

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Great Panthers and met. In the vault cafe with 14 other people, most of whom were from different homeless housing, advocacy, leadership, or developers of homeless housing.

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And it was an incredible privilege to be there because what I heard from, that was what was essentially an 8 part charter.

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Of what we eventually created. Jointly. Called the Bay Area Landless Peoples Alliance.

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Which survived. Very minimally under COVID, 5 of the leaders of.

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1st they came for the homeless died. In the early part of 2020. Not from COVID, but.

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From living on the streets. But, still exists as a Facebook page. And.

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And is closely tied with our work with. Hog or the homeless action working group in Oakland, also known as Shelter Oak.

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And I say this because it was really the work with the unhoused. The right the concept of the right to land the right to have a self-governing to be neighbors and create a real mutual care housing with each other, whether it's intense or vehicles.

00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:36.000
Or sitting on a sidewalk that these are parts of our human rights. And voices that we don't hear in most of the debates about funding or even tenant protections.

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So it's important to me and I, and our great panther chapter that the voices of, every every group that's holding up for the right to live the right to be housed.

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In in a in a community for example it's very important that this be part of the conversation coming up.

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Today we don't have representatives from the wood street commons or here there which failed but Wood Street Commons is part of 3 or 4 self-help.

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Encampments that are working on their own. Concept of housing and will be part of the public debate.

00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:27.000
So next. Thanks. I know that was long when did. So this next slide, which I can't.

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There it is. I don't, this is, this is part of the concept of housing as a human, right?

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That I am encountering. There's lots of, but that come from the official organization behind.

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The social housing festival. So affordability, habitability, cultural adequacy, sustainability, location.

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Within reach of vital amenities, accessibility, security of tenure, and availability of services.

00:18:59.000 --> 00:19:07.000
So I encourage any of you to do the command shift. For or command shift 3 and capture these images so you might be able to.

00:19:07.000 --> 00:19:18.000
We'll be posting it in the video afterwards. Okay, thanks. So no need. Don't feel like people have to write everything down.

00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:24.000
It's huge. So what do we have here in the US? Well, this is my professional opinion.

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I do have a degree. And spent many years working more formally in in the professional capacity and in trying to understand our housing policy and and how housing powers and policies about the poor.

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In particular we have 75 years 1934, I think. Various acts were passed in the depression under FDR and in 1,937 we had a housing policy that was actually pretty good, but we have what we have now today.

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75 years of proposals for stable housing and the rights of tenants corrupted, co-opted.

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By conservative segregationist real estate associations and their lobbyists. And Let me just pause. A number of people joining us.

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Our realtors or real estate agents and I'm incredibly grateful that you want to be part of this conversation.

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But the people who represent you, the National Association of Realtors, and the California Association of Realtors have publicly admitted to their practices.

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Racist and sometimes illegal practices to undermine fair housing law in California. And nationally. They have apologize.

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You can go to their websites and see those apologies. I, this is not the best representation, but if you, there is a new entity modeled after the National Realtors Party, the California Realtors Party.

00:21:01.000 --> 00:21:12.000
Which despite their apologies. Exists and to. As a group to put forward laws. That protect the rights of homeowners.

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And protect the rights of the property, what is it, the to increase their the value of their homes.

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So if you know how the rhetoric goes. For opponents of affordable housing. Or any kind of you know, rights for the homeless.

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Preserving property values is used by the realtors to justify any number of pieces of propaganda that that I 1st became aware of them.

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Because they are funders. To destroy Topa tended opportunity purchase act. They are continually spending millions of dollars.

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Hundreds of millions to lobby. Against rank control expansion. Of, you know, it's very clear they have been bought they already designed the realtors associations designed the redlining maps.

00:22:09.000 --> 00:22:20.000
They used them informally. And then the federal government and banks asked for copies of them and so this is a lineage That is, I just, I'm gonna say it.

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We say we have opponents, but These are hundreds of millions of dollars here in California. To prevent the kinds of housing justice.

00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:38.000
Or just how write to housing that. Certainly many of us would like to see. It's.

00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:47.000
So, 45 50. What is this number? We are in a time of great opportunity, although it is in time of crisis.

00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:59.000
45% of Californians are now renters. 55% are homeowners. This is the highest number of renters and the lowest number of homeowners.

00:22:59.000 --> 00:23:09.000
That that California has ever seen and it's it's it's we that's part of Oh, I'm looking in the wrong place.

00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:12.000
I like to look at you all, not my own presentation. I've been looking at this for a long time.

00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:30.000
Yeah, 45 to 50. So this is an opportunity. And. You know, there've been, I know there are flyers all over California calling for tenants rights.

00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:35.000
Especially after COVID when new rights were established, but now they're gone. And the evictions are already starting up again.

00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:47.000
This is one petition, this is one ballot proposition in Berkeley. Berkeley has tended to operate as a freewheeling of independent agent.

00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:56.000
And I'm saying here now as someone who supports this petition. And we have to stop doing it one city at a time.

00:23:56.000 --> 00:24:01.000
This is a movement. We need to create. I'm getting my rant on.

00:24:01.000 --> 00:24:13.000
This talk is about saying why we need to talk to each other, collaborate. Build up structures that are Continually working.

00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:20.000
To create a new paradigm. And a new vision. And this is what I learned in. Europe.

00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:34.000
This just happens to be one of the recent rallies, Grey Panthers. Myself and and this is with one of the groups we're a member of the Poor People's Campaign Nell and is one of the leadership.

00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:35.000
And this is our own wonderful Arlene. I don't know their pictures.

00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:44.000
We were at the Wood Street Cup. Yeah, I need to interject. We were at the Wood Street Commons one year anniversary.

00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:45.000
And that's what that's what we were attending.

00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:50.000
Thank you. Of their eviction. Yeah. And it was a great and lively event.

00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:57.000
And they're having another event. We can talk about it later, but June. 14, th I think.

00:24:57.000 --> 00:25:11.000
All right, so I while I'm while I'm learning and catching up with various California coalitions, particularly the Social Housing Coalition out of Southern California.

00:25:11.000 --> 00:25:24.000
This popped up i don't know i don't know who sent it to me or why it showed up but you know the ways of the internet knows So the International Social Housing Festival was held last June.

00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:34.000
In Barcelona, Spain. And thanks to a great. Set of wonderful circumstances. And my husband knowing how to work plain credits.

00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:44.000
This was a free event. Just had to get there and I was able to get there. And in the process, I, Got the in.

00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:53.000
Thank you, Great Panthers for letting me represent the National Council at this event. It just gave me a kick to have that title.

00:25:53.000 --> 00:26:00.000
2,000 participants, people from 87 countries. And it was hosted by the city. Of Barcelona.

00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:08.000
What I discovered among the highlights Let's go this. Okay, it was the 4th such festival.

00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:11.000
I'd never heard of it before, but what I had heard of is that it was inspired by Leilani Farha who was the UN rapporteur who came.

00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:24.000
Among in her 6 7 year term of office in 2,017 she came to the Bay Area.

00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:38.000
And she talked with 1st they came for the homeless and several in Wood Street encampment and various many people and she wrote but she said and wrote in a report She had never seen such conditions.

00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:48.000
Except in very dire 3rd world countries. And not even today. Necessarily. And she, she was also very passionate.

00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:57.000
She's from Canada, which has suffered a lot of the same kinds of trend real estate issues and trends and crises and housing.

00:26:57.000 --> 00:27:09.000
That we have. She, she's the publisher, producer, I'm sorry, of a movie called, Shift, which was a documentary about the role of the equity.

00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:18.000
Remember we had the equity partners, the hedge funds that are buying up single family homes and multi-family homes and student housing.

00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:29.000
And affordable housing. For seniors, even. So she was, aghast and created a nonprofit to.

00:27:29.000 --> 00:27:42.000
Let people know grassroots and governments of the dangers of this trend. And so when she was in Europe She was telling everyone she met network network network network.

00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:46.000
Well, she didn't deliver that message to us, but I'm delivering it for her.

00:27:46.000 --> 00:28:00.000
And she was the instigator. She was the reason this bestival came into being. Back in 2017 and it's been held in 4 cities Leon Frass, Amsterdam.

00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:08.000
Helsinki. And now Barcelona. And next in 2025 it will be in Dublin.

00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:38.000
And I learned about this festival and the pieces that were part of it. Beginning with Barcelona itself so cities the barcelona social housing plan back in 2013 actually a woman who was the commit housing commissioner or housing minister, Barcelona's and around Spain they elect not just a city council or a mayor they elect a minister of housing.

00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:53.000
What a concept. And that person has autonomy, has as much autonomy as the mayor to use and specifically is responsible for housing policies and production.

00:28:53.000 --> 00:29:02.000
So, the mayor spoke. And brought with her a, a, a, special, a bridge version.

00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:09.000
Of the, Barcelona housing plan, which You can just see a lot. You can Google this.

00:29:09.000 --> 00:29:19.000
You can read it. I have my copy with me. And essentially, this commissioner ran for mayor and won and proceeded.

00:29:19.000 --> 00:29:20.000
It's always backwards. I'm sure. Yeah. And, I wish I could share it with you.

00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:36.000
I am a data walk and, but the point was that she committed the city to build I think something like 9,000 more social housing units.

00:29:36.000 --> 00:29:47.000
By that she meant public housing. And housing built by a private. Cooperatives, housing cooperatives, and nonprofit housing like we have.

00:29:47.000 --> 00:29:58.000
Community housing developers here. And that's the basis of of EBO is actually an association of these.

00:29:58.000 --> 00:30:12.000
Nonprofit cooperative, I'm sorry. Of the nonprofit housing sector. Hearing in the East Bay, but there's groups like it all over the state.

00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:21.000
And, about 8,000 of those units, not just public, but also, cooperative, private.

00:30:21.000 --> 00:30:32.000
Limited equity cooperatives. As well as these community housing developers had built. Between 8 and 9,000 by the time we met in Barcelona.

00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:47.000
And, she also lost her election. For reelection bid and I'm I'm glad to say since then the new mayor also renewed the commitment to complete the plan which would add another 3,000.

00:30:47.000 --> 00:30:55.000
So we're talking about almost doubling the number of what we would call affordable, affordable housing units.

00:30:55.000 --> 00:31:02.000
And I put this in quotes because I'm not gonna, I just don't want to get into a discussion about who considers.

00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:07.000
What housing to be affordable. But the main thing is that it's permanently the cost of housing is set in these units.

00:31:07.000 --> 00:31:20.000
There's it's set. To. Be aggregated or it's it reflects the income.

00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:33.000
And it and the whole rather than the profit. So prices rents and housing prices in this. Sector in this labeled Big tent label of social housing.

00:31:33.000 --> 00:31:44.000
You know, it was so confusing. Everyone asked me what social housing and it's not a type of housing although sometimes that term has been used.

00:31:44.000 --> 00:31:52.000
It's not a, ownership type, although It's not just public or just private.

00:31:52.000 --> 00:32:00.000
It is permanently affordable in the sense that it is never bought or sold or developed for profit. I'm sorry, look in the wrong place.

00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:09.000
And that was revolutionary. But the Barcelona housing plan was only one. Of many, many, many cities, regions, and nations in Europe that are behind this festival and doing this work.

00:32:09.000 --> 00:32:28.000
Of making housing a human right, making that real. So the lead sponsor and the organizer of this festival took me a long time to kind of winkle this out is a group called Housing Europe.

00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:35.000
And the name, the actual name of Housing Europe and Rains, can you actually bring up their website?

00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:45.000
Not in the middle of it. Oh, I thought we were gonna be able to do that. Well, essentially it's the federation of public cooperative and social housing developers.

00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:49.000
Now, I ripped my hair out because they're the social housing is being used in a big way to include all of these different elements.

00:32:49.000 --> 00:33:07.000
Public cooperative, which is to say resident owned and operated housing. And social housing basically meaning nonprofits that produce affordable housing.

00:33:07.000 --> 00:33:17.000
For different groups and needs. So, 46 national and regional federations so public entities are part of this.

00:33:17.000 --> 00:33:32.000
Established in 1988 and now it's 46 federations this happens to be in Europe but in fact there's countries doing other similar things that are part of the festival.

00:33:32.000 --> 00:33:41.000
So, 43,000 local housing organizations. Right? So national and regional federations are like the ministers of housing or.

00:33:41.000 --> 00:33:54.000
Our equivalent of HUD, but it's made up from about the bottom up. It's a federation that starts with local housing organizations and advocacy organizations and tenants groups if they.

00:33:54.000 --> 00:34:07.000
Tenant groups but mostly more in the advocacy and alternative forms of affordable housing realm. 25 million dwellings.

00:34:07.000 --> 00:34:15.000
So multiply that. I don't know by 2 or 3. That's how many people. Have safe, stable, affordable.

00:34:15.000 --> 00:34:25.000
Housing as a result of this federation. They They keep track of their numbers. That's something we just hardly ever see here in our own governments or even, you know, how many new ones, 200,000, I'm sorry.

00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:40.000
So I'll just stop there. This is a Mighty big tent. Coalition. It's not a coalition because it persists.

00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:59.000
Apart from any particular legislation, these these are self-motivating behind the central goal. housing is a human right and, and every local housing organization does something a little bit differently, but it's within this vision.

00:34:59.000 --> 00:35:04.000
Oh, you've already talked to this. Oh, I'm sorry. I'll just I'll just keep moving on, but it's a great.

00:35:04.000 --> 00:35:15.000
Great group. This it didn't. The other group that I was very impressed by but haven't learned as much about is the International Union of Tenants.

00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:28.000
This predates anything, this predates the UN. And, sort of broke down after world during World War 2, but, Started up again and it's been active.

00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:38.000
It's also a federation, a cooperative federation of local tene unions forming state tenant unions.

00:35:38.000 --> 00:35:51.000
Or and then a national tenant union and then an international union it's currently operating in 27 countries it supports itself part mostly by its own membership dues.

00:35:51.000 --> 00:36:03.000
Has its own convention and it publishes a national status report. This particular booklet they gave out at the, at the festival.

00:36:03.000 --> 00:36:09.000
And it reports on the. Again, the social housing, they're using that big term.

00:36:09.000 --> 00:36:17.000
Within each country. And the the highest country in Europe is is is. The Netherlands.

00:36:17.000 --> 00:36:23.000
I think many people may have heard about Vienna, but that's lower on on the list.

00:36:23.000 --> 00:36:28.000
The Austria, but it's in Spain where we were hosted it was just 2%.

00:36:28.000 --> 00:36:34.000
But there's so there's a big range, but. Essentially, folks are keeping track of the numbers.

00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:46.000
In their own city, in their own country, and, and, in Europe, which of course has its own governmental parliamentary system.

00:36:46.000 --> 00:36:53.000
Next. I'm blathering on. Okay. So what can we learn from this?

00:36:53.000 --> 00:37:01.000
So one is that I wanted to bring to where we are here in the US. So we have many components of this system.

00:37:01.000 --> 00:37:09.000
One of the impressive parts in the Barcelona is that there's a region like a metropolitan area wide, several groups.

00:37:09.000 --> 00:37:22.000
One is called, people, create housing cooperatives and these, limited equity or 0 equity housing cooperatives, which are then governed and managed.

00:37:22.000 --> 00:37:40.000
But with assistance, governed and managed by the residents. This is something our public housing here in the US we actually had a whole little mini movement in the eighties for resident governed resident managed housing.

00:37:40.000 --> 00:37:51.000
Just think of that. That was. Being discussed and debated and brought up. And then, the administrative administration shifted.

00:37:51.000 --> 00:38:05.000
The winds changed and suddenly I never heard about it again. But there are, there are public housing, authorities that empowered the residents of particular buildings to act like a cooperative cooperative.

00:38:05.000 --> 00:38:11.000
So before that, let me just share. Before that, we had a national policy of supporting cooperatives.

00:38:11.000 --> 00:38:26.000
And that also disappeared under the Reagan era. Training handbooks, like how to become, it was called home owner, you know, it's called, sorry, it's called working, class homeownership.

00:38:26.000 --> 00:38:35.000
And it was it was promoted heavily from the thirtys to the to at least the seventys and eightys and right now only one program.

00:38:35.000 --> 00:38:45.000
Under the federal government still exists and that's for senior cooperatives. But I wanted to announce in this one arena of cooperatives.

00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:55.000
Because the US has a hundred, 150 years. Of what was called so what we would now call social housing.

00:38:55.000 --> 00:39:02.000
Many, many, here's, a whole, This is not even the complete list, but.

00:39:02.000 --> 00:39:12.000
It's like each generation discovers, oh, maybe we can create housing for ourselves. Now we have people living on the streets in tents and vehicles.

00:39:12.000 --> 00:39:19.000
Realizing this same thing. And our government, of course, our government policy has been co-opted and undermined.

00:39:19.000 --> 00:39:24.000
For all of this for many, many years, but this is our history, our heritage.

00:39:24.000 --> 00:39:27.000
So just Just to, yes.

00:39:27.000 --> 00:39:34.000
That's it. And there's a note, there's a note on the chat. From Bruce Wolff.

00:39:34.000 --> 00:39:43.000
Oh, hi, Bruce.

00:39:43.000 --> 00:39:44.000
We, we.

00:39:44.000 --> 00:39:45.000
San Francisco Community Land Trust has several 0 equity co-ops. Maybe you wanna ask them to say something.

00:39:45.000 --> 00:39:48.000
Oh, I'll wait till later. Bruce and I are part of several coalitions, so it's great to see him here.

00:39:48.000 --> 00:39:53.000
Norma, we're waiting until Betsy. Closes and then we're gonna speak.

00:39:53.000 --> 00:39:54.000
Okay.

00:39:54.000 --> 00:40:02.000
Yeah, I I can call on him for sure because he is very much in the trenches around a lot of these issues and I respect him greatly.

00:40:02.000 --> 00:40:08.000
Thank you, Norma. So I wanted to mention because I just found out about it myself.

00:40:08.000 --> 00:40:19.000
There's a national incubator. Program to train people to start co-ops. Now, Trainings have been offered.

00:40:19.000 --> 00:40:37.000
You know on a small scale here in the Bay Area but I think if any of you are familiar with the tenant tenant opportunity to purchase act which is still working its way through various communities but was opposed.

00:40:37.000 --> 00:40:45.000
Greatly in most cities that were where there was a grassroots group wanting to start them. So cooperatives.

00:40:45.000 --> 00:41:06.000
Resident ownership on a land piece of land that's owned either by a public actor or by a community land trust is one of the in my opinion, best new tools because you, you know, we can get into that later and maybe Bruce can talk about it too.

00:41:06.000 --> 00:41:14.000
So there's this incubator and, I can speak to it if anyone's interested.

00:41:14.000 --> 00:41:21.000
Yeah, I'll just keep going. It's based out of New York, which has the largest number of cooperatives, both.

00:41:21.000 --> 00:41:31.000
Market rate and 0 equity and limited equity. I mean, this New York City is always has had this pioneering.

00:41:31.000 --> 00:41:42.000
Form of housing. For a hundred years at least. So they're training people in how to start, help other people start more co-OP.

00:41:42.000 --> 00:41:54.000
California CLTs showed up at the. Are enrolled. Unity land trust. The other ones. Community development corporations.

00:41:54.000 --> 00:42:03.000
These are nonprofits that have led the way in housing often rooted in specific neighborhoods or particular racial ethnic.

00:42:03.000 --> 00:42:11.000
Leadership that's yeah culturally appropriate. So, I just, I'll skip through this quickly, but, There's about 3.

00:42:11.000 --> 00:42:27.000
There were about 400,000 cooperatively owned. housing units in the US it's dropped that word limited equity or shared equity being a preferred term or 0 equity.

00:42:27.000 --> 00:42:35.000
And now, hearing, many of those have fade, have become market rate. Don't go into too much more.

00:42:35.000 --> 00:42:44.000
But just to say there's plenty of co-ops here in California, even though they're largely invisible to most housing policy people.

00:42:44.000 --> 00:42:52.000
They have persisted. And grown. So California cooperatives are about

00:42:52.000 --> 00:42:57.000
I'm not, I can't quite read there, but they're about 5% of the total.

00:42:57.000 --> 00:43:14.000
In the US. So I wanted to speak to I'm gonna wrap up like I said I'm not gonna go into every kind of what might be called social housing is really social housing is like a strategic communication term.

00:43:14.000 --> 00:43:40.000
Historically, it's been used for all sorts of concepts, you know, group homes for the development, disabled or but really in this case, What I saw in Europe, what I saw with the, all of the festival and with the, the federation, housing Europe is, is what they've agreed to is it's permanently affordable, never to be sold or operated for

00:43:40.000 --> 00:43:56.000
profit. So that, and that there's a whole wrap around vision of, and paradigm of like, more but of how cities should operate and how they should be participating.

00:43:56.000 --> 00:43:57.000
But I, I just want to call out, the largest tenants group here in California.

00:43:57.000 --> 00:44:22.000
It's a big tent. Okay. I think close to a hundred different membership groups, including tenant unions from many cities and community land trusts, a few community land trusts.

00:44:22.000 --> 00:44:35.000
I know Julia has been active with that and other people Julia Cato our own former chair of the Berkeley tenants union and of course now we have many other tenants actions.

00:44:35.000 --> 00:44:45.000
All right, I'm being coached. I just wanna say we have this opportunity. There's been an enormous amount of effort to organize tenants.

00:44:45.000 --> 00:44:52.000
Around the state because we have more renters and they're more exploited. Than ever before.

00:44:52.000 --> 00:45:03.000
So 10 min together, I admire they have monthly calls and I would like to encourage everyone on this call to go look at their website if you're not familiar with them.

00:45:03.000 --> 00:45:11.000
To join. If you can, and more specifically to endorse their tenants bill of rights.

00:45:11.000 --> 00:45:21.000
Which looks pretty close. To. Pretty close to the UN definition of the right to housing.

00:45:21.000 --> 00:45:27.000
Terms that we were discussing and it's actually very close to the Biden administration the White House put together a proposed Bill of Rights.

00:45:27.000 --> 00:45:34.000
They haven't launched it yet, but I think it's worth looking at. And here in California, I'm a little unclear, but I don't think this has passed yet.

00:45:34.000 --> 00:45:42.000
Julia, do you know?

00:45:42.000 --> 00:45:58.000
So This I think it's, so this is. This is a recommendation. I would like EBHO and public housing authorities if they have the ability and economy to also endorse.

00:45:58.000 --> 00:46:00.000
Attendance bill of rights. There's There's no point in creating an alternative form of housing.

00:46:00.000 --> 00:46:21.000
If tenants are still tenants without any protections of rights right so we have a lot of nonprofit landlords and Great Panthers gets phone calls from people living in those affordable senior buildings.

00:46:21.000 --> 00:46:31.000
Who are who are harassed, believed, confused. And, and there needs to be clarity about, about all tenants, all renters.

00:46:31.000 --> 00:46:38.000
And that is that is what the UN, that is what the international lesson. That's what I saw happening.

00:46:38.000 --> 00:46:45.000
In Europe is, is, is still to be developed. And I think we should hear. Consider allying ourselves with tenants together no matter what we do in the housing field.

00:46:45.000 --> 00:47:12.000
Endorse the Tenant Bill of Rights. So, I'm asking actually particularly my fellow Grey Panther chapters here in California to consider doing this and to use these the tenant rights issue and support for housing of the human right to question all candidates for office.

00:47:12.000 --> 00:47:26.000
And last, not really lastly, but. I want to encourage all of us to be aware that SB 5 5 by our local Aisho Wahab, Senator from Fremont.

00:47:26.000 --> 00:47:39.000
That a bill was passed that identifies a requires a study group on permanent affordability. As our state housing policy.

00:47:39.000 --> 00:47:50.000
And the term social housing was dropped from the title of this bill and another definition of social housing was used by another bill.

00:47:50.000 --> 00:47:59.000
That failed. So I'd like to see us participate in the study group and start lobbying to be part of the study group.

00:47:59.000 --> 00:48:02.000
And as far as I'm concerned, any group you're part of. Let's make sure we're part of this.

00:48:02.000 --> 00:48:18.000
Discussion of SB. 5 5 5 about what is. The creation of a definition of permanent affordability and then working state policy towards that definition.

00:48:18.000 --> 00:48:28.000
We also have the Bay Area. Housing Finance Agency here in the Bay Area, which is raising, I believe it's going for 20 billion dollars.

00:48:28.000 --> 00:48:39.000
And I don't know what definitions they're using public discussion is going to open soon and so let's get involved in those public discussions and work.

00:48:39.000 --> 00:48:47.000
I should see an opportunity to work for a model like the housing Europe. And to create and track.

00:48:47.000 --> 00:48:53.000
What is the stock of permanently affordable housing across a range of needs across a range of groups but just work that and shape that discussion.

00:48:53.000 --> 00:49:08.000
About who gets counted, who gets funded, and where we need to go as as a East Bay or Bay Area or the state.

00:49:08.000 --> 00:49:09.000
Alright.

00:49:09.000 --> 00:49:21.000
And I believe that there's been, public comments.

00:49:21.000 --> 00:49:26.000
Yeah, but they aren't involving grassroots groups at the moment.

00:49:26.000 --> 00:49:27.000
Yeah.

00:49:27.000 --> 00:49:30.000
At buffer already that they already ongoing. So just, Yeah. I'm not saying whether they are, whether they are and I'm just making a statement that public comments have been opened up already.

00:49:30.000 --> 00:49:31.000
Excellent. Excellent.

00:49:31.000 --> 00:49:39.000
And so, yeah, and they are where they have been attending. Because I've actually attended some of them to kind of.

00:49:39.000 --> 00:49:40.000
Thank you.

00:49:40.000 --> 00:49:46.000
See, but be that as it may, we just kind of went put put put that out there and Betsy, we really wanna thank you for this big.

00:49:46.000 --> 00:49:57.000
Extremely informative. Presentation about. Social housing and how it is applicable. Here in North America and specifically California.

00:49:57.000 --> 00:50:03.000
Thank you. So very much. And I'd like to.

00:50:03.000 --> 00:50:11.000
Bruce made a statement, Bruce Wolfe about, San Francisco Community Land Trust has several 0 equity.

00:50:11.000 --> 00:50:19.000
I really like him to, explain that. What does 0 equity come up If he could.

00:50:19.000 --> 00:50:24.000
Hey, maybe off the call now.

00:50:24.000 --> 00:50:31.000
I can share what that is, but if someone else wants to take it, I'm glad for it.

00:50:31.000 --> 00:50:33.000
So do you want me to take it? Arlene, do you want to skip to another question?

00:50:33.000 --> 00:50:37.000
Or?

00:50:37.000 --> 00:50:41.000
I don't see any other, that was the only statement that I I've seen that really

00:50:41.000 --> 00:50:49.000
Okay, I think it's important. But within the sphere of cooperative housing cooperatives today.

00:50:49.000 --> 00:51:00.000
They are legally defined the documents that So the original documentation, basically a group of people own. And operate housing for themselves.

00:51:00.000 --> 00:51:09.000
And it's it's a corporation just like a nonprofit is a corporation IBM is a corporation.

00:51:09.000 --> 00:51:37.000
A housing cooperative is a legal form. Of collective organization. And the, some most cooperatives, they're set up to be housing for the members, but the, the, the members put in the money and it used to be a group of people could put in the money and buy a building or buy a piece of land and then pay to construct an apartment building.

00:51:37.000 --> 00:51:48.000
And there are hundreds of thousands of these around the country. Another category of howing cooperative though, really is the, the, arena.

00:51:48.000 --> 00:51:55.000
That's most of concern for us. It limits the equity. In other words, the equity you pay in to have a unit.

00:51:55.000 --> 00:52:10.000
To have the right to live in a unit. Or own a unit depends on how it works and when you own the unit privately as an individual you sell the unit for whatever the market will bear.

00:52:10.000 --> 00:52:16.000
And there are many of these in New York City and co ops are a little bit less than private homes.

00:52:16.000 --> 00:52:32.000
And condos because of the complications of shared governance. But the market rate is market rate. Limited equity means that when you put in your money or your down payment, whatever you want to call it, you put in a money to buy a share of the cooperative corporation.

00:52:32.000 --> 00:52:45.000
You're only gonna get back a certain. Like maybe 10% on your investment or when the unit is sold, the price is set by the membership.

00:52:45.000 --> 00:52:54.000
And the corporation as a whole, the cooperative as a whole gets a portion of the profit. And guaranteed the research is very clear.

00:52:54.000 --> 00:53:04.000
Cooperatives have lower rates of foreclosure. Lower rates and their prices are about a 3.rd Less at least a 3rd less.

00:53:04.000 --> 00:53:17.000
Then. Then private or, for profit housing for private homeowners. But a portion of cooperatives are set up and this is the type of cooperatives that.

00:53:17.000 --> 00:53:35.000
Housing and urban development set up specifically for poor, for the poorest. Americans and that is you don't have to pay anything more than a deposit to move in and you essentially rent but you rent with a stake.

00:53:35.000 --> 00:53:51.000
In governing and maintaining the whole. Property. And Not everyone and some of those those are essentially look like affordable housing except They look like.

00:53:51.000 --> 00:54:01.000
I'm sorry, they look like public housing in many cases and in some cases the they they're They haven't kept up a culture that says, wait a minute, we own this.

00:54:01.000 --> 00:54:10.000
Or at least we govern this. And so 0 equity means that you don't need to have a pot of money behind you.

00:54:10.000 --> 00:54:19.000
Even the cooperative limited equity cooperatives might be $2,000 $5,000. $17,000, 22.

00:54:19.000 --> 00:54:28.000
What? To join to enter and joining means that you now own. You co-own. The entire building or set of buildings.

00:54:28.000 --> 00:54:33.000
And so, means that you don't have to pay a fee in order to enter into it versus having to pay a fee.

00:54:33.000 --> 00:54:35.000
Yeah. Well, and yeah, thank you.

00:54:35.000 --> 00:54:40.000
Okay. Sit. Yeah. Okay, I'd like to ask the audience.

00:54:40.000 --> 00:54:50.000
Does anybody want to respond? Does anyone have any statements that they would like to? Pose during this.

00:54:50.000 --> 00:54:58.000
After this presentation that we just witnessed.

00:54:58.000 --> 00:54:59.000
Anyone? Okay.

00:54:59.000 --> 00:55:03.000
Okay. Julia has a hand.

00:55:03.000 --> 00:55:09.000
Julia?

00:55:09.000 --> 00:55:10.000
Yes.

00:55:10.000 --> 00:55:15.000
Okay, I just. Is my microphone on, yeah. Oh. Okay, I just wanted to say that limited equity co-OP.

00:55:15.000 --> 00:55:24.000
L the amount you can resell them for so it keeps it permanently affordable. That's that's That's why the equity is so limited.

00:55:24.000 --> 00:55:30.000
They can't make a, you know, they can't just people can't just come in and buy them and then.

00:55:30.000 --> 00:55:41.000
I live in a few years and sell them at some ridiculous profit. And that's why they're so significant and important to our Hello, you know, affordable housing community.

00:55:41.000 --> 00:55:42.000
That's all.

00:55:42.000 --> 00:55:45.000
Thank you. Thank you, Julia.

00:55:45.000 --> 00:55:46.000
Art.

00:55:46.000 --> 00:55:52.000
No, we're sticking to the subject so if it's related to the social housing topic.

00:55:52.000 --> 00:55:58.000
And is brief. Sure, go ahead, you're on.

00:55:58.000 --> 00:55:59.000
Norman?

00:55:59.000 --> 00:56:01.000
Oh yes. Oh, you talking about your client on me?

00:56:01.000 --> 00:56:02.000
Yes. Oh, I was 1st on the list.

00:56:02.000 --> 00:56:09.000
No, Norma. Norma has a hand raised. Art was first, st okay, All right, this person in the queue. Go ahead.

00:56:09.000 --> 00:56:10.000
All right.

00:56:10.000 --> 00:56:17.000
Okay. 2 questions. Betsy, what was the most exciting thing you learned while you were in Europe?

00:56:17.000 --> 00:56:24.000
And secondly, besides joining tenants together. What else would you suggest as a priority for areas of activism?

00:56:24.000 --> 00:56:28.000
For us here in creating more affordable housing.

00:56:28.000 --> 00:56:39.000
Well, people still call. People still need they're in crisis and urgency and I respect.

00:56:39.000 --> 00:56:52.000
I respect and wanna support organizing groups, groups that are building a base of support. You know, where people are going, you know, might be door to door or church to church.

00:56:52.000 --> 00:57:06.000
And inviting people in to learn about this stuff. I'm not good at that, you know, I'm good at this thinking like our theme thinking systems in big picture and I think it iss thinking systems and big picture.

00:57:06.000 --> 00:57:15.000
And I think it is absolutely critical that we make sure that thinking systems in big picture. And I think it is absolutely critical that we make sure that the BAFA, this Bay Area funding agency has has a place.

00:57:15.000 --> 00:57:28.000
For community organized tenant organizing groups at the table. And. And the homeless that people who are homeless are still human beings with thinking brains.

00:57:28.000 --> 00:57:37.000
Not many people are in crisis. But the level of ingenuity and strategy I think we also should be including the voices of of the unhoused who have ideas and have organization.

00:57:37.000 --> 00:57:56.000
I'm thinking particularly the National Association of vehicle residents. We're having this, I'm not, I have, I don't live in a vehicle, but they're having a summit in June.

00:57:56.000 --> 00:58:04.000
So getting interested and having a big tent and not restricting ourselves just to. No, that's not that one.

00:58:04.000 --> 00:58:20.000
So I think collaborating and having at least one person in your Panther chapter who's reaching out and talking to the non-professional housing justice.

00:58:20.000 --> 00:58:31.000
Organizers and advocates. Can be an incredible. Personal experience. That's that's not what I got out of the festival because.

00:58:31.000 --> 00:58:47.000
But I saw that that was a missing voice there and they care about they have. They're having, you know, you know, wars and climate disasters are understood.

00:58:47.000 --> 00:58:53.000
They're going to create millions. They've already pushed millions of displaced people into European countries.

00:58:53.000 --> 00:59:05.000
And this is one place where that seen and understood and want to be incorporated and planned for that the housing the most exciting thing to me was to see this federation.

00:59:05.000 --> 00:59:15.000
This federation, this big tent, federation of public. Non-profit and cooperative housing developers or managers of housing.

00:59:15.000 --> 00:59:35.000
Because Just talking to each other, we're stronger. And this particular federation has incredible statement of vision and values about what they are committed.

00:59:35.000 --> 00:59:36.000
And.

00:59:36.000 --> 00:59:40.000
And you could say that's just pieces of paper and words, but There was a real energy. And commitment and I would love to see some of that.

00:59:40.000 --> 00:59:43.000
Us fertilizing each other and collaborating. We don't have to, yeah, thank you.

00:59:43.000 --> 00:59:51.000
And I want to piggyback off of Betsy that in there's a national chapter of Great Panthers, right?

00:59:51.000 --> 00:59:57.000
And so what other great panthers throughout the country are involved in? And so, have we even spread the net out in our own house?

00:59:57.000 --> 01:00:07.000
The lack of better way to stay it. Like how many people even know about? Has there been a presentation for the, national?

01:00:07.000 --> 01:00:12.000
So anybody that's in anything national. We wanna begin to spread the word, not only here in California, but throughout the country because it's not only impacting the country.

01:00:12.000 --> 01:00:32.000
The this state, but we also impact is being impacted throughout the country, especially what real estate investment trust, hedge funds, etc, etc, is constantly extracting and how we can move in a different direction.

01:00:32.000 --> 01:00:33.000
And.

01:00:33.000 --> 01:00:45.000
Thank you, Early. And I would say, I have well, do you think I've successfully brought this message to the national council which is fairly small.

01:00:45.000 --> 01:00:48.000
About 12 chapters.

01:00:48.000 --> 01:00:52.000
Well, we could.

01:00:52.000 --> 01:00:53.000
Okay, so.

01:00:53.000 --> 01:00:58.000
I don't, I don't think I have. I don't think we have. So, and what's important is this strategy is not top down.

01:00:58.000 --> 01:01:05.000
We, this is me, but I think many of us want to see a more democratic base.

01:01:05.000 --> 01:01:21.000
For these solutions because The people who are closest to the action are the people who should be setting the guidelines and designing the accountability systems and managing the housing.

01:01:21.000 --> 01:01:27.000
Lowest is not the right word, but you know closer to the people who

01:01:27.000 --> 01:01:28.000
Yes. And yeah.

01:01:28.000 --> 01:01:33.000
Those who are being the most impacted. And so, Norman is raising, waving her hand at the screen.

01:01:33.000 --> 01:01:34.000
Yeah.

01:01:34.000 --> 01:01:37.000
A, we want to give Norman opportunity to.

01:01:37.000 --> 01:01:38.000
Yeah, one of our.

01:01:38.000 --> 01:01:39.000
Hey. Hello everybody.

01:01:39.000 --> 01:01:45.000
We want to keep it, we wanna keep it, we wanna keep it at 3. Okay, thank you.

01:01:45.000 --> 01:01:46.000
Okay.

01:01:46.000 --> 01:01:51.000
I will. I will, I promise. They, that's a snap, snap, snap.

01:01:51.000 --> 01:01:58.000
I can't snap my fingers anymore, but. The way you went about it was just lovely.

01:01:58.000 --> 01:02:07.000
I'm wondering, well, 1st of all, I wanna make sure does everybody know that there is a place I got mine in the 3 dots at the bottom of my screen.

01:02:07.000 --> 01:02:12.000
There's a place called reactions and in that you can raise your hand. Just to make sure everybody knows how to get involved in this. Well, you could raise your hand, but we can't see everybody at one time.

01:02:12.000 --> 01:02:27.000
So, getting back to That I made a note to myself. Now let's see. Did Betsy, I got in here late.

01:02:27.000 --> 01:02:35.000
Did Betsy make a reference? To the social housing that went on. In the early 19 hundreds.

01:02:35.000 --> 01:02:39.000
Okay. Okay.

01:02:39.000 --> 01:02:41.000
Hello, Betsy.

01:02:41.000 --> 01:02:42.000
Sorry.

01:02:42.000 --> 01:02:45.000
We do. We didn't go ahead Betsy.

01:02:45.000 --> 01:02:46.000
Yes, but go on.

01:02:46.000 --> 01:02:47.000
Okay. Well, where you, you were you gonna say something? Did you get into the thing?

01:02:47.000 --> 01:03:13.000
She's so instructive to know what the people, the immigrants, the communists, so instructive to know what the people, the immigrants, the communists, the Jews that came to the United States in the early 19 hundreds, late 18 hundreds, early 19 hundreds, what they did because of their political background, which has been totally denied to the United States people.

01:03:13.000 --> 01:03:28.000
So if, there can be an intention to make sure that that is commented on or if anybody has a question about what I'm talking about it I've just said what it was is that people ran their own housing.

01:03:28.000 --> 01:03:39.000
In the early 19 hundreds they were bunch of socialists And it all got stolen away from them because that's the system we live in.

01:03:39.000 --> 01:03:51.000
The American system of we will grab whatever you get or whatever you want and take it away from you and sell it back to you at unobtainable prices.

01:03:51.000 --> 01:03:55.000
Okay.

01:03:55.000 --> 01:03:56.000
Oh good. Good.

01:03:56.000 --> 01:04:09.000
Yes, Norma. I actually had one slide. Documenting just a few. Of the 150 years of what we would now call social housing but essentially of cooperatives and communes and many of them still exist.

01:04:09.000 --> 01:04:10.000
What I'm saying is

01:04:10.000 --> 01:04:14.000
A number, many failed, many failed. We're still learning how to do it, but,

01:04:14.000 --> 01:04:18.000
They failed because the stuff got stolen from them. It was, which is why, that's why people hate Stalin.

01:04:18.000 --> 01:04:19.000
Stalin just said.

01:04:19.000 --> 01:04:22.000
Well, I'm gonna say that I believe. Not, yeah. Time for us, yeah. One piece of history.

01:04:22.000 --> 01:04:29.000
Okay, okay. We want to keep this moving because we want to be respectful of people's time.

01:04:29.000 --> 01:04:34.000
And

01:04:34.000 --> 01:04:43.000
Oh, I'm sorry. For the sake of time. Because we are running.

01:04:43.000 --> 01:04:46.000
What is our time?

01:04:46.000 --> 01:04:47.000
Well, absolutely, absolutely.

01:04:47.000 --> 01:04:50.000
Out of time. And so we have Dominique and we wanna be respectful of her time. And so we have like.

01:04:50.000 --> 01:05:05.000
I would like to hold. The statements until after Dominique Hello, present and then we can resume the statements from Jenna, Michael, Maria, and Richard, please.

01:05:05.000 --> 01:05:11.000
Thank you. And so I would like to, present Miss Dominique Walker. To present to us at this time.

01:05:11.000 --> 01:05:16.000
Thank you.

01:05:16.000 --> 01:05:17.000
Good.

01:05:17.000 --> 01:05:27.000
Hey, everyone. I would just like to thank you all for the work that you all do on a daily basis and also for inviting me to speak today.

01:05:27.000 --> 01:05:34.000
I guess I'll start off. About, speaking about my trip to Barcelona.

01:05:34.000 --> 01:05:45.000
This April. And some key takeaways. For myself and representing monster housing.

01:05:45.000 --> 01:05:56.000
We were invited to an I know I don't wanna butcher the name, I'll just say it in English, it's an encounter and it was a 2 day.

01:05:56.000 --> 01:06:05.000
Activist convening in Barcelona where we toured. Places where folks had occupied land.

01:06:05.000 --> 01:06:15.000
And it was a time for us to connect and share our struggles. And. It was my 1st time traveling internationally.

01:06:15.000 --> 01:06:16.000
Good.

01:06:16.000 --> 01:06:23.000
So that was amazing. Opportunity for me. But what I learned is, power structures are the same.

01:06:23.000 --> 01:06:30.000
And it's important that we build power. That was one of my key takeaways.

01:06:30.000 --> 01:06:43.000
Because I act some of the like they were having encampments and They built like centers and gardens and By everyone is riding bikes so they have a bike shop.

01:06:43.000 --> 01:06:49.000
On land that they have taken over. To stop the development of. And speculation going on in Barcelona.

01:06:49.000 --> 01:06:58.000
It was so similar to the things that we're up against in the Bay Area. It's really important that.

01:06:58.000 --> 01:07:08.000
We organize with each other. So one of the things that moms for housing, is working on his doing an international convening.

01:07:08.000 --> 01:07:16.000
Probably on Zoom, we wanna do it in person in the future, but, next year it will probably be on Zoom to connect.

01:07:16.000 --> 01:07:30.000
And another takeaway is that we have to be radical because these speculators, these corporations they are moving, they're finding loopholes and our laws, they're doing whatever is necessary to gain capital.

01:07:30.000 --> 01:07:39.000
And we have to be have power to push back. Against that on the ground and locally local government.

01:07:39.000 --> 01:07:44.000
That's some of the things I learned there.

01:07:44.000 --> 01:07:53.000
There were a lot of, neighborhoods and in Barcelona where we were in each neighborhood.

01:07:53.000 --> 01:07:56.000
Had their own tenants union. And each one of those tenant unions focused on the specific issues of that neighborhood.

01:07:56.000 --> 01:08:13.000
And I thought that that was really neat and one of their models is like They, you're in the tenants union and you use it like a vaccine.

01:08:13.000 --> 01:08:24.000
So folks are in the tennis unions that are not having like rent issues at the moment. But just to prepare themselves for what is gonna happen in the future.

01:08:24.000 --> 01:08:28.000
And I think that that was just so important. To my way of thinking because if you think about like people come to even moms for housing when they're on the face.

01:08:28.000 --> 01:08:39.000
Of eviction like when they're about to get evicted and they need support. I'm like, what if we were already organized?

01:08:39.000 --> 01:08:41.000
Yeah.

01:08:41.000 --> 01:08:44.000
We could She'll up different and with more of a force if we were already constantly every day doing the work.

01:08:44.000 --> 01:08:59.000
And. I I don't know what else. Thanks, wanted me to talk about.

01:08:59.000 --> 01:09:19.000
That's like. That's very personal level that you brought it to us all. And I failed to mention that Dominique is a participant with moms for housing who took over the house in the city of Oakland from the Big real estate, Wedgwood Company.

01:09:19.000 --> 01:09:42.000
And it is now a housing. And wrap around services for moms and children. They offer resources. And one of the things that she mentioned that's really critical is that before we get in crisis, Because that's what happens by the time people get 2, a 2 to the need.

01:09:42.000 --> 01:09:49.000
And I seeking our assistance, we're already in crisis, whereas when she was talking about the vaccine.

01:09:49.000 --> 01:10:09.000
Is before you get to the crisis. And so I really appreciate it even the way that you describe that because it's really important because so many people are in crisis and able to handle so many things because we constantly living in a state of crisis.

01:10:09.000 --> 01:10:10.000
Yeah.

01:10:10.000 --> 01:10:30.000
In our health, in our housing, our daycare, our economics, our employment, education, reentry of veterans, LGBTQ, parents, we just have this whole wheel of people that are constantly in crisis because of the situations that's perpetrated here, not only here in North America, this is a global thing.

01:10:30.000 --> 01:10:41.000
And so I really appreciated the way that you spoke about the vaccine and how can we begin to develop that because it's not just about the organizations joining this particular thing but the people.

01:10:41.000 --> 01:10:46.000
That's going to speak about what's wrong with them because the top has don't necessarily always know.

01:10:46.000 --> 01:10:51.000
So I appreciate you so much Dominique. Thank you so much for that.

01:10:51.000 --> 01:10:55.000
Thank you, Dominique.

01:10:55.000 --> 01:11:01.000
And, now we're gonna, we're gonna resume back. We gotta circle back.

01:11:01.000 --> 01:11:06.000
Thank you so much for even being here, Dominic. I appreciate all you guys here today.

01:11:06.000 --> 01:11:07.000
Thanks.

01:11:07.000 --> 01:11:11.000
Do I ask? I need to ask. You told me I can't. Okay.

01:11:11.000 --> 01:11:12.000
Yes.

01:11:12.000 --> 01:11:13.000
Hello.

01:11:13.000 --> 01:11:21.000
Can you hear me, Arlene? I'm sorry to interrupt. But I, I put a little bio of Dominique.

01:11:21.000 --> 01:11:22.000
I got you. I got you.

01:11:22.000 --> 01:11:37.000
I'm so grateful you. And to both of you for pulling this out. Okay, and I just want people to understand see if, Dominique, if you would like to say a few words about the different organizations you're part of in addition to moms for housing.

01:11:37.000 --> 01:11:38.000
Yeah.

01:11:38.000 --> 01:11:44.000
Sequency, yeah, because we didn't mention secrecy. Come on now.

01:11:44.000 --> 01:11:45.000
And I'm talking about secrecy in addition to

01:11:45.000 --> 01:12:04.000
I don't know. If you want to say a few words about for Ace A. Well, I'm talking about ACE, which has Okay, we can if there's someone here from I'll stop we wanted to hear from groups that are front line in this housing justice housing development, you know, finding anyone who's in a frontline organization working on these issues, wanted to at least hear

01:12:04.000 --> 01:12:14.000
whether you or your organization how you are responding to housing is human right or what your particular specialty and expertise is in.

01:12:14.000 --> 01:12:25.000
So if there's anyone else who might want to share or if Dominique would want to share about some of the other work that's great but I really appreciate thank you.

01:12:25.000 --> 01:12:26.000
Oh.

01:12:26.000 --> 01:12:34.000
Yes, I I can share. So as far as moms for house and we were founded on the belief.

01:12:34.000 --> 01:12:47.000
That that housing is a human right it is our birthright it should not be commodified So we absolutely believe in that we work boots on the ground.

01:12:47.000 --> 01:12:59.000
Working to get development for low income and 0 income out because we need that as well. And also doing policy work with the city of Oakland.

01:12:59.000 --> 01:13:07.000
And one of the challenges that we come into like for instance Carol 5 had a something go to counsel and it was passed unanimously.

01:13:07.000 --> 01:13:18.000
Pass to turn the old Navy base into emergency housing. And it was passed, but here we are years later and there's no implementation.

01:13:18.000 --> 01:13:31.000
So what the things that we're struggling now with is the city administration and and everybody that are supposed to work with the implementation that part is not is not happening.

01:13:31.000 --> 01:13:34.000
But we're continuing to organize. I'm not boots on the ground with C for C, but we work with them directly.

01:13:34.000 --> 01:13:47.000
With moms for housing and, with policy work. In the city of Oakland and also direct actions.

01:13:47.000 --> 01:14:00.000
I am also a rent board commissioner in the city of Berkeley. And right now one of the biggest thing is getting the ballot measure.

01:14:00.000 --> 01:14:01.000
You see that?

01:14:01.000 --> 01:14:07.000
It is Berkeley tenant protection and the right to organize ballot measures. So if you're in the city of Berkeley and you haven't signed that.

01:14:07.000 --> 01:14:08.000
Ballet, please. You can contact me. I'll come by and get your signature.

01:14:08.000 --> 01:14:15.000
A lot of the landlords, they have a ballot measure coming and they have their signatures.

01:14:15.000 --> 01:14:25.000
We are trying to get our signatures, we're hopeful that we'll get them, but they're basically trying to gut our rent protections in the city of Berkling.

01:14:25.000 --> 01:14:26.000
And you pulled up?

01:14:26.000 --> 01:14:39.000
And, that's something that we're working hard to fight against. It seems like a lot of the work that we do on the rant board is closing loopholes that landlords have figured away around.

01:14:39.000 --> 01:14:47.000
So that's a little bit of what I'm doing. And if you have any questions, I have like 5 more minutes and then I have to go.

01:14:47.000 --> 01:14:52.000
Because it's the early day here in Berkeley.

01:14:52.000 --> 01:14:57.000
Thank you and rings just put up your flyer. Oh, he's about to.

01:14:57.000 --> 01:15:13.000
And also, if you have any questions and because, you know, for the sake of time, she has to go get her baby and maybe to pass it, you know, put it in the chat, maybe we could pass it from Great Panthers to Dominique and you know in one form letter and you know.

01:15:13.000 --> 01:15:16.000
Maybe even come and do some presentations. Who knows? I don't know. But just, of course, because it's all about collaboration.

01:15:16.000 --> 01:15:28.000
So that's where our strength is gonna come from. We all have to collaborate. And so, any questions anyone?

01:15:28.000 --> 01:15:40.000
I do. How do you sign for the tenants protection? The petition. How can we do that?

01:15:40.000 --> 01:15:41.000
Yes.

01:15:41.000 --> 01:15:42.000
Yeah.

01:15:42.000 --> 01:15:43.000
Oh, well. We are canvassing, right? Can you all hear me? Okay, we're canvassing right now.

01:15:43.000 --> 01:15:51.000
Actually, if some volunteer is canvassing in my neighborhood, but if you. Need to sign, we can have somebody come by, and sign.

01:15:51.000 --> 01:15:58.000
I live in district 2 in Berkeley, in Berkeley every day. So if you want me to stop by so you can sign a petition.

01:15:58.000 --> 01:16:03.000
I'm willing to do that. I can drop my number. Let's see. Or email address email.

01:16:03.000 --> 01:16:05.000
Your email or you know some contact information. Yeah.

01:16:05.000 --> 01:16:06.000
I'll put my email in the chat and if you need me to come by so you can sign.

01:16:06.000 --> 01:16:22.000
We're trying to have our signatures in. We need to have them in by Friday. So, before Friday, I can stop by and have you all sign and I'm dropping my email.

01:16:22.000 --> 01:16:23.000
Oh my god.

01:16:23.000 --> 01:16:24.000
Chat right now.

01:16:24.000 --> 01:16:26.000
Thank you so much.

01:16:26.000 --> 01:16:33.000
Friday. Cheryl, I know where you live. I live a block 2 blocks away. I have petitions.

01:16:33.000 --> 01:16:50.000
I'm back on Friday, unfortunately. Can I? Will that work? For, well, can I get a signature on Friday and have it be valid Dominique?

01:16:50.000 --> 01:16:51.000
Oh!

01:16:51.000 --> 01:16:54.000
I'm not sure. I think there's a cutoff might be 5 PM, but I don't know if you have Leah, Simon Weisberg's information. He is.

01:16:54.000 --> 01:16:57.000
Yeah.

01:16:57.000 --> 01:17:00.000
The petitions to be turned in so she would have that information.

01:17:00.000 --> 01:17:07.000
Okay, thanks. But I'll be your backup because.

01:17:07.000 --> 01:17:08.000
Thank you.

01:17:08.000 --> 01:17:09.000
I live real near Cheryl. Thank you. Oh.

01:17:09.000 --> 01:17:11.000
Excellent, excellent. I love network network network, collaboration.

01:17:11.000 --> 01:17:13.000
So, yeah.

01:17:13.000 --> 01:17:16.000
A question.

01:17:16.000 --> 01:17:17.000
Thank you.

01:17:17.000 --> 01:17:28.000
Dominique, what? What tenant protections are being under threat or being taken away in Berkeley is one of them rank control?

01:17:28.000 --> 01:17:40.000
It's not actually rent control. It's just amendments to our ordinance. They're specific ones and if you want to know like that, I just don't have it all.

01:17:40.000 --> 01:17:47.000
The ordnance is like 2 pages or something. So I can send this specific thing that the landlords are trying to do.

01:17:47.000 --> 01:17:51.000
And, if you go on, I think it's East Bay. tenants.com.

01:17:51.000 --> 01:17:58.000
Let me see. I think I wrote it. They are not gonna send that to you. It has exactly.

01:17:58.000 --> 01:18:07.000
What the landlords are trying to take from our ordinance and what we're trying to do specifically to strengthen the ordinance.

01:18:07.000 --> 01:18:11.000
All of that. Let me see if I can find it. I'll drop it in a chat before I.

01:18:11.000 --> 01:18:12.000
Jump off.

01:18:12.000 --> 01:18:15.000
Okay.

01:18:15.000 --> 01:18:20.000
And if you have to go first, st we've got people who could do that behind the scenes back you up.

01:18:20.000 --> 01:18:23.000
Okay, thank you. I really have to jump right now because I go get my daughter, but thank you so much for inviting me.

01:18:23.000 --> 01:18:27.000
Yeah. Thank you so much.

01:18:27.000 --> 01:18:39.000
In any way that we can collaborate just let me know, reach out to, I think you all have, moms for housing info, our email address, and we are gonna have some things where we would love to collaborate with you all on.

01:18:39.000 --> 01:18:40.000
So thank you.

01:18:40.000 --> 01:18:42.000
Thank you.

01:18:42.000 --> 01:18:43.000
Thank you all.

01:18:43.000 --> 01:18:49.000
Thank you and have a beautiful day. And lessons. Okay. Wow, that was awesome.

01:18:49.000 --> 01:19:01.000
We gonna keep, we gonna go back to the responses with the hands raised. The 1st person in the queue is Miss Jenna.

01:19:01.000 --> 01:19:02.000
Yes.

01:19:02.000 --> 01:19:03.000
Yes you are.

01:19:03.000 --> 01:19:07.000
Hi, am I audible? Okay, cool. This is just a brief question. Essentially about nomenclature.

01:19:07.000 --> 01:19:22.000
That's, you were talking about categories, but so what would we call the the category of housing that I think of as low low income where these buildings that are run by Saha and you refer to them where they take a percentage.

01:19:22.000 --> 01:19:50.000
It's often a 3rd of whatever your income is. And also, are there organizations, or do you know of buildings where that have that kind of finance base but where the tenants themselves have are empowered to manage where they they literally can self-manage their buildings either here or in Europe or anywhere internationally.

01:19:50.000 --> 01:20:00.000
And thank you for this. This is. But that's that is it prompted that question.

01:20:00.000 --> 01:20:01.000
Yeah.

01:20:01.000 --> 01:20:10.000
Hello. Okay. So, Yes. So 1st off, You remember the slide where I said we have a hundred, 75 years of conflicting competing co-opted housing policy.

01:20:10.000 --> 01:20:11.000
Couldn't see it, but yeah.

01:20:11.000 --> 01:20:25.000
So, Saha for better for worse is what well, is belongs to, the whole sponsor of this.

01:20:25.000 --> 01:20:26.000
Okay.

01:20:26.000 --> 01:20:30.000
They are mission aligned nonprofit. Housing developers and managers. And they manage the buildings that they build or buy.

01:20:30.000 --> 01:20:38.000
And they manage it, they have their own staff. There is a whole category of corporate of for profit.

01:20:38.000 --> 01:20:54.000
Housing owners developers managers that own 50,000 a hundred 1,000 units and they hire private property managers to manage and squeeze the budget so they can pay back their investors.

01:20:54.000 --> 01:21:11.000
There's also though The way. All of the category of section 8, which is a HUD program that specifically has been Limited and underfunded for many years.

01:21:11.000 --> 01:21:24.000
People who receive a Section 8 voucher are usually in the very bottom of income. They have to meet poverty standards, which is just a number set years ago with a formula.

01:21:24.000 --> 01:21:27.000
In 1959 and has not really been adjusted but we're not going to go there okay

01:21:27.000 --> 01:21:39.000
Yeah, it is. It is, it is absolutely a program that's essential, but because, you know, the wins of policy change.

01:21:39.000 --> 01:21:54.000
Republicans and conservatives limited the number of, public housing units that are permanently subsidized or of any kind of units that are I'm not saying this right.

01:21:54.000 --> 01:22:07.000
So, the public policy shifted from building buildings where all the units in them were permanently subsidized to be Very low cost.

01:22:07.000 --> 01:22:18.000
Instead, we went to a voucher system. And only about, I don't know. A 3rd at most of people who would qualify.

01:22:18.000 --> 01:22:23.000
Very deeply subsidized rent. Ever get a voucher. Right? There are very few vouchers.

01:22:23.000 --> 01:22:25.000
Right, cause they're closed. Right.

01:22:25.000 --> 01:22:32.000
When you get about, well, they have wait lists and they wait lists open up in different areas. It's a big deal.

01:22:32.000 --> 01:22:46.000
If you're looking to get on one of those lists. I highly recommend going to the Center for Independent Living or talking to because you, you have to get on the list, then you might get a, might someday get a voucher.

01:22:46.000 --> 01:22:56.000
And then only 16% of people who receive those vouchers. Actually find a place in the private housing market.

01:22:56.000 --> 01:22:57.000
The one? Yeah, go ahead.

01:22:57.000 --> 01:23:20.000
And so with the with the housing vouchers, housing vouchers are basically being used with continuum of care coordinated entry service for those who are homeless.

01:23:20.000 --> 01:23:21.000
Well.

01:23:21.000 --> 01:23:27.000
There are some that are actually getting it that are not. In that category. The bulk of the housing is for those who are participating in coordinating entry services who are disabled who might be under some sort of violence, intimate partner violence.

01:23:27.000 --> 01:23:37.000
There's certain categories, but the larger population is generally not really participating because it's such a small limited amount and the length of time that it takes for that to happen.

01:23:37.000 --> 01:23:39.000
Is really quite long.

01:23:39.000 --> 01:23:41.000
So absolutely and

01:23:41.000 --> 01:23:47.000
Do you see Margo's comment in the chat people?

01:23:47.000 --> 01:23:58.000
Reagan cut public housing and we're still suffering from this. Yes, those of us who are blessed with age and memory know that these programs have come and they've been cut back.

01:23:58.000 --> 01:24:05.000
I know fun. Bless.

01:24:05.000 --> 01:24:06.000
Hmm.

01:24:06.000 --> 01:24:16.000
And just to say that I before the homeless crisis really reached peak there was just the one program. Called Section 8 vouchers for the poor for people who were you know, an individual makes less than $14,000 a year.

01:24:16.000 --> 01:24:22.000
And you and is I am critical personally of the fact that. The, well, let me back up.

01:24:22.000 --> 01:24:27.000
So that was a program that's still going on and they're still new vouchers and it's not just for the currently homeless.

01:24:27.000 --> 01:24:41.000
Another set of vouchers. A program with a different name was set up for people who are homeless.

01:24:41.000 --> 01:25:05.000
Right? And there is, and I don't know how different public housing authorities work their different pots of vouchers and maybe there are no more section 8 vouchers but they existed and there are people living on those vouchers who have been living in senior affordable housing here in Berkeley is Redwood Gardens.

01:25:05.000 --> 01:25:06.000
So kind of, of after the eighties.

01:25:06.000 --> 01:25:11.000
Harriet Tubman. But there's a variety of tax credit. There's a whole bunch of complicated.

01:25:11.000 --> 01:25:20.000
Finding things that make make any given unit less than market rate. That's all.

01:25:20.000 --> 01:25:21.000
See it's.

01:25:21.000 --> 01:25:27.000
So just to not go into the, in the eighties, we no longer were really distributing public health, you know, section 8 vouchers.

01:25:27.000 --> 01:25:28.000
We were building, we weren't allowed to build any new public housing.

01:25:28.000 --> 01:25:35.000
We know in 1998 they stopped building with the fair cloth amendment. They stopped building public house.

01:25:35.000 --> 01:25:36.000
No, I'm agreeing. Yeah.

01:25:36.000 --> 01:25:46.000
And so now we lost here in the state of California. We lost over 15,000 units and they have never been replaced and there's no conversation about it.

01:25:46.000 --> 01:25:52.000
But that's another conversation. But it's basically housing choice vouchers that are now being used.

01:25:52.000 --> 01:26:05.000
RCD, satellite houses that are now being used, RCD, that are now being used, RCD, satellite housing organizations that are nonprofit are now the, satellite housing organizations that are nonprofit are now the participants that are building a house like the participants that are building a house like the largest management that is extracting a tremendous amount of money to me and bad manage

01:26:05.000 --> 01:26:09.000
well. Okay, I'm gonna keep it to myself. It's John Stuart is the largest, manager of housing here, in the state of California.

01:26:09.000 --> 01:26:17.000
And I don't even know naturally. But I'm just gonna throw that in.

01:26:17.000 --> 01:26:32.000
So I will just say. Go into the weeds just a little bit any building. That has been built by a mission aligned and is owned by a mission aligned.

01:26:32.000 --> 01:26:44.000
Will at least have the intention. Of fair and just management. And if they hire a private company to manage them, you know, it's arms distance.

01:26:44.000 --> 01:27:04.000
I will just say the ownership is your 1st line of inquiry. If it's owned by an incorporated nonprofit that has explicitly their mission is to support affordable housing, then you will have stable and legal rents, you know?

01:27:04.000 --> 01:27:20.000
If you're in a for profit company or and there's even some that game nonprofit status but if you're owned by a for-profit corporate type owner landlord, you will there's even worse exploitation that can happen.

01:27:20.000 --> 01:27:32.000
And they have contracts and when that contract a 30 year contract, correct me if I'm wrong early, but most of the affordable housing is done through a contract with HUD or with.

01:27:32.000 --> 01:27:34.000
No, it's not. Something happened, right?

01:27:34.000 --> 01:27:45.000
The city and when that contract expires. Some owners, and it's already happened just sell the building for market rate.

01:27:45.000 --> 01:27:52.000
They don't they're not committed to per permanent affordability even if you disagree with what is affordable.

01:27:52.000 --> 01:28:00.000
And even if you don't think they're serving the community. And that is one of the issues with being why we need to define permanent affordability and focus on increasing that housing stock.

01:28:00.000 --> 01:28:15.000
Otherwise, you know, the owners of Harriet Tubman can may be able to sell. They have a long contract.

01:28:15.000 --> 01:28:37.000
But, many other buildings across the country and in California have been sold. And gone market. Or the they've they're able to raise the rents the rents get raised according to the area median income which has nothing to do with you yourself with a fixed income.

01:28:37.000 --> 01:28:38.000
Hmm.

01:28:38.000 --> 01:28:43.000
Right? You're gonna get charged. And if you can't pay the increase, then you will, you have, you'll be evicted.

01:28:43.000 --> 01:28:44.000
We do have other. Yeah.

01:28:44.000 --> 01:28:49.000
And you know, the thing about it is that we know most of this is not supply and demand. It's very manipulated.

01:28:49.000 --> 01:28:58.000
Real estate investment trust investors who are driving up prices and we can't ignore that. And so as a result, this is where we sit at.

01:28:58.000 --> 01:29:02.000
And so when you look at, back in the eighties, when Reagan was in office.

01:29:02.000 --> 01:29:12.000
It was, DC was the 1st place where they actually began important time count because of. This impact on housing.

01:29:12.000 --> 01:29:25.000
It started there and now here we are in 2024. How many years later? But you know, with that being said, continuum of TS started here, you know, in 2,014 where they actually started implementing this whole circle of things.

01:29:25.000 --> 01:29:32.000
But that's just for those who are homeless.

01:29:32.000 --> 01:29:33.000
But.

01:29:33.000 --> 01:29:38.000
Apparently, got, I, yes, we got more. I'm gonna have a lot of problems.

01:29:38.000 --> 01:29:39.000
1st we have Maria.

01:29:39.000 --> 01:29:44.000
And that was specifically for people who were homeless. So the consum of care. So can I, can I ask Arlene, could we call on Richard and Michael David as as chapter leaders we're never we're never gonna see them as much.

01:29:44.000 --> 01:29:45.000
Is that all right?

01:29:45.000 --> 01:29:59.000
Oh, okay, sure. Sure. Well, I don't wanna, I, I don't wanna leave out Maria.

01:29:59.000 --> 01:30:00.000
Okay, so

01:30:00.000 --> 01:30:06.000
No, no, I'm just asking for people who are not. People who are part of other organizations that are doing housing work in some way so that was that was our priority for guests and Maria of course you'll You know where we live.

01:30:06.000 --> 01:30:07.000
Well, can I go?

01:30:07.000 --> 01:30:08.000
Well.

01:30:08.000 --> 01:30:09.000
So who are you calling on.

01:30:09.000 --> 01:30:11.000
Richard, Richard.

01:30:11.000 --> 01:30:18.000
Thank you, where for our focus is primarily on senior housing being a great panther chapter. Seems natural.

01:30:18.000 --> 01:30:29.000
And what I wanted to talk about, not it's not only where we're, we should be going, but also where the National Council of Great Panther Network should be going.

01:30:29.000 --> 01:30:44.000
And it seems to maybe there's a tension here. So what I'm hearing is you folks.

01:30:44.000 --> 01:30:45.000
They are.

01:30:45.000 --> 01:30:53.000
Seeing housing as a social movement. That in other words, tenants should get involved politically. To get to this, and they are and have been and and and they should be encouraged.

01:30:53.000 --> 01:30:54.000
Hmm.

01:30:54.000 --> 01:30:59.000
To get involved and basically create their own housing opportunities. And control them and be in charge of them. And of course, it has to be

01:30:59.000 --> 01:31:00.000
Right.

01:31:00.000 --> 01:31:01.000
That's 1, that's 1 possible outcome. That is not the might not work for seniors to do that.

01:31:01.000 --> 01:31:03.000
They might know.

01:31:03.000 --> 01:31:05.000
No, no, no, I'm there.

01:31:05.000 --> 01:31:06.000
Yeah, yeah, okay. Sorry.

01:31:06.000 --> 01:31:08.000
Okay. Well, we're gonna let Richard speak. We're gonna let me just speak. Go ahead, Richard.

01:31:08.000 --> 01:31:23.000
But on the other hand, I look at it as a funding issue. Where's the money? And so our emphasis so far has been on looking for where's the money to encourage our local elected.

01:31:23.000 --> 01:31:32.000
Housing authority people. And all the rest to basically create more housing. It's not so much coming up from the bottom, it's coming down from the top.

01:31:32.000 --> 01:31:38.000
So you're. This is what your chapter is doing. I'm sorry.

01:31:38.000 --> 01:31:39.000
Thank you.

01:31:39.000 --> 01:31:46.000
Terms of where the money is. Hi, let me finish. So I would like to know. About whether there's any examples of those 2 approaches coming together for seniors.

01:31:46.000 --> 01:31:58.000
I mean, we have There's something appealing about a bunch of old people standing with their walkers in the air shaking it, you know, saying, give us, give us the housing we deserve.

01:31:58.000 --> 01:32:04.000
And so there's something appealing about that. And yet, is it realistic? Is there examples of this actually happening?

01:32:04.000 --> 01:32:05.000
Good.

01:32:05.000 --> 01:32:09.000
So that's my that's where I'm at in terms of what do I take back.

01:32:09.000 --> 01:32:13.000
To my chapter. With that, thank you.

01:32:13.000 --> 01:32:21.000
And so, going to the buffalo meeting, right? So the buffer is the basic Bay Area housing finances authority, right?

01:32:21.000 --> 01:32:30.000
And so there are certain groups that have been attending. One of them is which is St. Mary's and the seniors and they actually attend the meetings.

01:32:30.000 --> 01:32:45.000
And participate in public comments. And so they are. Some that are already participating. So when you you mentioned that about seniors, you know, here we are all of us, and, and when you go to the meet, you see all of these seniors.

01:32:45.000 --> 01:32:54.000
So it is certain things are happening where people are participating in this movement. So it is certain things are happening where people are participating in this movement.

01:32:54.000 --> 01:32:55.000
Excellent.

01:32:55.000 --> 01:33:00.000
So I just wanted to kind of put that out there to you. In this movement. So I just wanted to kind of put that out there to you. In this movement. So I just wanted to kind of put that out there to you.

01:33:00.000 --> 01:33:07.000
If you do, if you do go to you will see certain participation. Of seniors.

01:33:07.000 --> 01:33:08.000
Right.

01:33:08.000 --> 01:33:14.000
Okay, Madam Chair, can I? May I respond as well?

01:33:14.000 --> 01:33:18.000
We wanted to talk, we wanted Michael to speak.

01:33:18.000 --> 01:33:22.000
Okay, I'll talk to you offline Richard about Santa Barbara. Yeah, thanks.

01:33:22.000 --> 01:33:25.000
Please. Thank you.

01:33:25.000 --> 01:33:33.000
Oh, I just wanted to make a couple of comments. I've been part of the mini subcommittee.

01:33:33.000 --> 01:33:41.000
For the national council of great panther networks. We've been meeting for well over a year, couple of years.

01:33:41.000 --> 01:33:47.000
About these issues. And we're trying to, we've had a lot of speakers come to us.

01:33:47.000 --> 01:33:57.000
We've looked at a lot of information. We're trying to write a paper now. To represent some of the ideas to get other people involved.

01:33:57.000 --> 01:34:05.000
And I've taken responsibility for working on the 1st chapter. I've worked for the on that for several months now.

01:34:05.000 --> 01:34:16.000
I wrote a chapter that basically talked about the investments, the, investors that are that are buying up housing.

01:34:16.000 --> 01:34:21.000
The venture capitalist as a way of. Parking their their money. In a way that they think will go up.

01:34:21.000 --> 01:34:30.000
So if they control all the housing. In a city, for example, they can control the rents.

01:34:30.000 --> 01:34:36.000
And they can make a lot of money doing that, driving people out. Anyway, I've been.

01:34:36.000 --> 01:34:42.000
I today I'm living in my sister's apartment which is a rent control department in New York City.

01:34:42.000 --> 01:34:53.000
I'm here to help her die. She has stage 4 cancer. And, so I'm suddenly in this situation of living in New York City in a rent control department.

01:34:53.000 --> 01:35:00.000
And it's been a real real culture shock for me. My sister has been living on her social security.

01:35:00.000 --> 01:35:07.000
She's a brilliant person. She's worked the system. She got her apartment in 1978.

01:35:07.000 --> 01:35:19.000
And she's paying $712 a month in rent. Now, she won't be paying that much longer because she won't be alive much longer, but that's, the history here.

01:35:19.000 --> 01:35:32.000
Now, I'm looking around trying to understand what the city is and how they work. She's in Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, so I'm taking 2 buses in a train or 2 trains in a bus to get to see her.

01:35:32.000 --> 01:35:38.000
And all this is written underwritten by the City of New York. Is the fares are very cheap.

01:35:38.000 --> 01:35:48.000
Compared to what they're actually offering. What I've learned is, she has a good friend who owns the building next door.

01:35:48.000 --> 01:35:57.000
And I was talking with him about it. Her building is now co-OP. That means that the apartments have been sold by a realty firm.

01:35:57.000 --> 01:36:06.000
And the building is owned by a co-OP. But she's paying $712 a month in rent because of rent control.

01:36:06.000 --> 01:36:13.000
And when she dies, the department will revert to the co-OP and they will sell it for probably a couple of 1 million dollars.

01:36:13.000 --> 01:36:27.000
That's the fair market value of where she lives. What I've learned from my friend is that her $712 doesn't even pay her fair share of property taxes.

01:36:27.000 --> 01:36:39.000
And that kind of set me back to thinking about property taxes and how that affects housing. We were talking about government finance, government, the vote government budget.

01:36:39.000 --> 01:36:46.000
Yeah, and we start looking at that, we look at how much is now drained by the, federally.

01:36:46.000 --> 01:36:53.000
By the. More than half our federal taxes go to payment on the debt. That's a fact.

01:36:53.000 --> 01:37:23.000
So our government doesn't have a lot of money to give us back for our taxes. That's there's a whole lot of governmental debt where they've done fast and furious accounting games and instead of maintaining the streets and maintaining our roads and so forth, they've spent their money on other things where they didn't collect enough money to adequately provide for the public.

01:37:24.000 --> 01:37:25.000
Hmm.

01:37:25.000 --> 01:37:29.000
Good. So I think in terms of any kind of long term housing. We have to look at the actual finances behind any housing that has to pay.

01:37:29.000 --> 01:37:37.000
And one of the basic things is property tax. Now my personal situation is we don't have a mortgage anymore.

01:37:37.000 --> 01:37:46.000
We own our home free and clear, but our taxes went up 5% last year. How many years can we survive on a fixed income?

01:37:46.000 --> 01:37:56.000
With our taxes going up every year. It compounds. It's gonna go up more as more property is sold and everything becomes so much more expensive.

01:37:56.000 --> 01:38:07.000
So I think that a national strategy for us has to include that as a factor in how we, we, we focus on, the housing problem.

01:38:07.000 --> 01:38:15.000
If we're going to be successful, we need to figure out what our values are. I agree with Betsy that housing should be a human right.

01:38:15.000 --> 01:38:23.000
But I don't know who pays for it. And until we really look at who pays for it, how we're going to have a public budget.

01:38:23.000 --> 01:38:27.000
We're not going to be able to really break free from the. The venture capitalists because they own the government.

01:38:27.000 --> 01:38:39.000
They have control over who votes on the in the legislature. And we really need an independent strategy. So that's what I'm.

01:38:39.000 --> 01:38:55.000
Proposing. We continue our discussion with that. I'd like to suggest that when we get our paper written, we should share it across all the networks with everybody getting a copy to participate in a structured discussion.

01:38:55.000 --> 01:38:57.000
We need to we need to figure this out. I don't see a solution. I'm living in New York and there are these incredible services that are absolutely essential.

01:38:57.000 --> 01:39:16.000
They, they clean the streets. They have a sweet street sleeper. And they collect, the, ticket the cars that are blocking the street cleaner.

01:39:16.000 --> 01:39:17.000
Okay.

01:39:17.000 --> 01:39:23.000
And I think that's kind of the metaphor for what we need in our. We have to be able to keep ourselves clean and operating at a minimum level.

01:39:23.000 --> 01:39:29.000
And I talked with people who live here. I'm just amazing. They can survive in this environment.

01:39:29.000 --> 01:39:33.000
I like living on a farm in Michigan. But it's really eye opening and I just wanted to lay that out as an issue.

01:39:33.000 --> 01:39:42.000
I don't think it's been really discussed.

01:39:42.000 --> 01:39:47.000
Wow, thank you so much for that commentary. I'm born and bred Brooklyn, New York.

01:39:47.000 --> 01:39:48.000
Okay.

01:39:48.000 --> 01:39:49.000
No.

01:39:49.000 --> 01:39:50.000
Yeah. And so, you know, I follows, I follow, they're talking about save section 9.

01:39:50.000 --> 01:40:03.000
There's a lot of public housing development that's being purchased. There's a lot of investors that have come to New York.

01:40:03.000 --> 01:40:10.000
And they have taken, they have purchased a lot of public housing buildings. There so there's a, going on there.

01:40:10.000 --> 01:40:11.000
Yes, yes.

01:40:11.000 --> 01:40:14.000
But is the property still on the tax rolls or do they get off the tax rules? That's a whole fairness issue.

01:40:14.000 --> 01:40:23.000
Yeah. And so, I appreciate you even bringing that up. Thank you so much. Maria has her hand raised and then we're going to get to Miss Maria, sorry to keep you waiting.

01:40:23.000 --> 01:40:24.000
And G.

01:40:24.000 --> 01:40:30.000
Alright. No, no, no, no, no, you're worth waiting for and I thank you so much, and I come from Queens.

01:40:30.000 --> 01:40:40.000
I don't know if you know that, but. Alright, so. Yeah, and Betsy, what a phenomenal presentation and thank you everyone for being here.

01:40:40.000 --> 01:40:48.000
I'd like to just make a few points. Being housed by Saha, the management is got awful.

01:40:48.000 --> 01:40:55.000
Such that all of my proactive. Let's adjust the elevators so that they don't present a tripping hazard, one literally dropped and is out of order now because they didn't listen.

01:40:55.000 --> 01:41:08.000
So whether it's John Roberts and lifelong or whatever. I want to caution us.

01:41:08.000 --> 01:41:30.000
To the co-optation of our. Intentions and language because Betsy you even mentioned thank God you know not for profits and etc. but These not for profit places if you look more deeply end up being exploited and you know again extracted from.

01:41:30.000 --> 01:41:43.000
In a very profitable way. So we really have to be stealth and aware of what really is happening just as some of the meetings that I've been to recently and town halls because we're having elections.

01:41:43.000 --> 01:41:51.000
There's a misrepresentation of the number of homeless people. There's the bragging on how Berkeley has reduced it.

01:41:51.000 --> 01:42:03.000
No. No, you know, so there's a lot of misinformation. We must really be Diligent, not accusatory, not you know.

01:42:03.000 --> 01:42:13.000
Prejudice but truthful in what we see because you know, this whole push for more housing doesn't.

01:42:13.000 --> 01:42:31.000
Oh, Clarify whether or not it's for just more money and so many of the people involved here are into perpetuating the problems so they maintain their salaries and or for again the exploitation and extraction of resources, which I wish.

01:42:31.000 --> 01:42:41.000
They would not waste. So much of due to, well, after the fact they're sued or where is the money actually allocated?

01:42:41.000 --> 01:42:55.000
So yes, finances. And bottom up. I, you know, it's quite a complex situation, but everyone here has a heart and a brain and I'm very, very, Very grateful.

01:42:55.000 --> 01:42:59.000
So thank you.

01:42:59.000 --> 01:43:12.000
Thank you so much, Maria. And you so write about this latest point in time count. It appears as if the numbers have been slow, but we were having what do they call those things?

01:43:12.000 --> 01:43:18.000
When it rains they have a title for it now. When it's in the sky because it's so torrential.

01:43:18.000 --> 01:43:25.000
The weather was so bad on the point in time count day here. That, the numbers were gonna be reduced.

01:43:25.000 --> 01:43:26.000
And so, I see.

01:43:26.000 --> 01:43:27.000
That was. Yes.

01:43:27.000 --> 01:43:36.000
Yeah, but only even more to the point the people that wait let me just respond to that the people that profess to be doing this not that they're not great intentions but they don't even know where to look.

01:43:36.000 --> 01:43:42.000
I've had people asking me, where do we go to see? And I can take them there because I've been there.

01:43:42.000 --> 01:43:48.000
You know, so again, we need to close the gap. Who's asking and who are they listening to?

01:43:48.000 --> 01:43:57.000
Because again, you know, Betsy, the way that you integrate all of this information along with the boots on the ground like Arlene and Dominic.

01:43:57.000 --> 01:44:07.000
It's like Dominique. I mean, it's just we've got to be more coordinated and communicative and cooperative and I again am so grateful thank you.

01:44:07.000 --> 01:44:11.000
And that's why we have all of these cracks. And so we're gonna keep this moving.

01:44:11.000 --> 01:44:18.000
Thank you, Maria. We're gonna call on Miss Jane.

01:44:18.000 --> 01:44:30.000
Thank you. I live in a Limited Co-OP in Berkeley and I work for a low income non-profit housing association.

01:44:30.000 --> 01:44:44.000
And I have assured them that, the contract with the agreement with the city of Berkeley, is good and the city would not sell the property and Betsy I I'm taking notes.

01:44:44.000 --> 01:44:51.000
I'm a little distracted and I thought I heard you say that the city has or could sell.

01:44:51.000 --> 01:44:54.000
Things when the contract time expires.

01:44:54.000 --> 01:45:14.000
So let me just say. That the city of Berkeley sold all of its public housing stock all 72 units to a I don't a real T, it's called, anyway, I'd have to look up the D, but they sold it to an out of city.

01:45:14.000 --> 01:45:24.000
Potentially for profit and that is they may have had an agreement with the city that they will never be.

01:45:24.000 --> 01:45:34.000
Because if you own in our system, if you owned, you can always sell. Cause it's your property, right?

01:45:34.000 --> 01:45:48.000
But the certain types of institutions are set up legally so they can never sell for profit. And or there they have agreed that it must It will never be sold, period.

01:45:48.000 --> 01:45:58.000
It will. Whatever that means or it'll be sold in other words you have to bake in the legal agreements to the very core corporate documents.

01:45:58.000 --> 01:46:10.000
But yes, I don't think at this point the city does not own what you used to be owned by the city.

01:46:10.000 --> 01:46:11.000
So it's possible. It's possible.

01:46:11.000 --> 01:46:15.000
Doesn't own anything. In public housing. It sold those. And they're now, yeah, and they now compete for tax credits.

01:46:15.000 --> 01:46:28.000
And section, you know, they each one each landlord has its own formula and commitments. So I think the question was probably about, sorry, back running out.

01:46:28.000 --> 01:46:33.000
Well, so many, so it is so freaking complicated. I can't, I can, but I can tell you within the city of Berkeley, we have buildings owned by mission aligned.

01:46:33.000 --> 01:46:51.000
Berkeley based. Affordable housing developers. And you've heard they can be as potentially not conscious and good to their tenants.

01:46:51.000 --> 01:46:55.000
That's why we need that, you know, and then there are others that are not even under the supervision of the city of Berkeley.

01:46:55.000 --> 01:47:08.000
And those are the oldest. I'll just share. So we have Harriet Tubman, Redwood Gardens, Strawberry Creek Lodge.

01:47:08.000 --> 01:47:15.000
And Savo Island cooperatives. They all have different ownership. And limits to ever being resold.

01:47:15.000 --> 01:47:23.000
But Harriet Dublin in Redwood Gardens, senior apartments. Right, senior apartments.

01:47:23.000 --> 01:47:36.000
They were sold to an out-of-state group called foundation housing which then has proceeded to create its own little corporation, limited liability, limited.

01:47:36.000 --> 01:47:47.000
They have done their own thing where they make money by getting. They make money by refinancing the building.

01:47:47.000 --> 01:48:01.000
Those are the fees that Arlene was mentioning. And the question is where does the money go back to?

01:48:01.000 --> 01:48:02.000
So I got a question so that

01:48:02.000 --> 01:48:03.000
And at least in Sahi goes into their mission of affordable housing. I'll stop. Some got tax credits, literally every building is its own deal.

01:48:03.000 --> 01:48:07.000
And

01:48:07.000 --> 01:48:12.000
So the tenants find out about that ahead of time. They're not caught completely by surprise at the last minute.

01:48:12.000 --> 01:48:35.000
Well, the building until Let me just say they nobody has to notify the tenants. And that's part of the reason we wanted the tenant opportunity to purchase Act, which looked good, but I can tell you I got a whole bunch of nasty flyers that were secretly or anonymously put out or or clearly funded by the realtors.

01:48:35.000 --> 01:48:41.000
Party. The the California Association of Realtors. And they have a I'm getting astray.

01:48:41.000 --> 01:48:51.000
We have to understand that the primary policy and the primary lobbyists have always been for homeownership, which seems like a wonderful thing.

01:48:51.000 --> 01:48:58.000
And is in many ways, but it has. The, but right now tenants have almost no rights.

01:48:58.000 --> 01:49:04.000
The reason I put up that 45% is because landlords don't have Yeah, I don't need to tell.

01:49:04.000 --> 01:49:13.000
45% of the city doesn't have, is not legally, doesn't have a right to know who owns the building.

01:49:13.000 --> 01:49:19.000
So one of the one of the international bill of one of the tenants to Tenants United, tenants together.

01:49:19.000 --> 01:49:29.000
Bill of Rights is to know who the owner is. So that may not answer your question, Gene, but where do you live?

01:49:29.000 --> 01:49:30.000
I'm, I'm at Parker Street.

01:49:30.000 --> 01:49:38.000
And let's talk offline about the ownership of your building. Your co-OP.

01:49:38.000 --> 01:49:39.000
Oh, excellent.

01:49:39.000 --> 01:49:44.000
Well, we own it. The co-OP owns it. We're owners, but where I work, it's a mutual housing association.

01:49:44.000 --> 01:49:45.000
Yep.

01:49:45.000 --> 01:49:52.000
It's a form of cooperative. And, it's run by the board who are tenants and, and there's a 50 year period.

01:49:52.000 --> 01:50:04.000
I didn't know there would be one other than 50 years. I think that only the land trust now has the power to extend it indefinitely.

01:50:04.000 --> 01:50:11.000
Okay. So I would love, I probably can. We probably know each other from those circles.

01:50:11.000 --> 01:50:21.000
Why don't you, if you put your number in the chat or Maybe someone can put my number in the chat or or sign up for Grey Panthers.

01:50:21.000 --> 01:50:22.000
Oh, put my email address in there.

01:50:22.000 --> 01:50:29.000
We're having a social. Next week. Thank you. I'll leave it at that because some weeds are just too deep for right now.

01:50:29.000 --> 01:50:35.000
And I want to kind of reiterate that I want to put that out to anyone who is on here who is not a member of.

01:50:35.000 --> 01:50:36.000
Great, East Bay, Great Panthers or Great Panthers in general, wherever you happen to be located, we invite you to join us.

01:50:36.000 --> 01:50:48.000
We invite you to attend our meetings. We invite you to come and be a part of us. Thank you.

01:50:48.000 --> 01:50:49.000
So much.

01:50:49.000 --> 01:50:55.000
No age limits, no age limits.

01:50:55.000 --> 01:50:56.000
Yeah.

01:50:56.000 --> 01:50:57.000
And I see Miss Margaret. Move. I has her hand raised.

01:50:57.000 --> 01:50:58.000
Hi. Okay.

01:50:58.000 --> 01:51:22.000
Yes, hi. I wanted to respond to the how is it funded, you know, that's well there's 2 issues really some of these not-for-profit housing that the city of Berkeley sold to have deadline where the property can be sold.

01:51:22.000 --> 01:51:33.000
It was something like 50 years, but 50 years isn't very long because it's down to something like 20 years for a couple of these places now.

01:51:33.000 --> 01:51:41.000
And there's just such a lack of consideration about what will happen to these places and to the tennis.

01:51:41.000 --> 01:51:44.000
Who live there, it's very upsetting. And you asked how it would be funded. Well, we have several things going on in the state level.

01:51:44.000 --> 01:51:52.000
Well, we have several things going on in the state level. One is we have to get rid of things going on in the state level.

01:51:52.000 --> 01:52:01.000
One is we have to get rid of prop 13, which limits the taxes that corporations pay, we have to Get rid of cost of hawking so that more cities can vote for tenant rights.

01:52:01.000 --> 01:52:14.000
We have to reconstitute the redevelopment agencies that Gerry Brown got rid of, and we have to tax the rich.

01:52:14.000 --> 01:52:20.000
And that's how we're going to fund things and that's what we have to do at the state level.

01:52:20.000 --> 01:52:26.000
And I hope that that we can accomplish that sometime in our lifetimes. Thank you.

01:52:26.000 --> 01:52:31.000
Thank you so much for that wrap up because that is like bullet pointed that we really need to focus on and we have not.

01:52:31.000 --> 01:52:41.000
And so thank you so much for that information. I see Norma has her hand raised who will be the last person.

01:52:41.000 --> 01:52:44.000
And we will wrap up.

01:52:44.000 --> 01:52:52.000
Hi, everybody. I need to tell you this. Betsy has tried to, rein this in.

01:52:52.000 --> 01:53:05.000
The way that, the Soviet Union got to be able to. Insist on housing for everybody was they opted out of the war in 1915.

01:53:05.000 --> 01:53:07.000
Oh.

01:53:07.000 --> 01:53:22.000
Yeah, they opted out of the war in 1915. This means they they had the ability. Materially to provide housing for everybody, which was part of the mandate of building the communist nation.

01:53:22.000 --> 01:53:34.000
Which is the cause of all the warring and stress and debt that the imperialist countries have. Put up.

01:53:34.000 --> 01:53:43.000
Since then, the impialist countries are trying and you've all been told this, you all know this, but it's real hard to put it deep into our.

01:53:43.000 --> 01:53:56.000
Heads and into our structure. Our structure is to protect the profiteering by our owners and we are, although the slavery system has changed and hugely.

01:53:56.000 --> 01:54:16.000
From channel slavery, needless. I mean, I can't express the degree of change from that to the present form of slavery where we We go to work for our bosses and they make money off of our labor and Marx wrote a couple of books about that.

01:54:16.000 --> 01:54:17.000
No.

01:54:17.000 --> 01:54:18.000
Thank you.

01:54:18.000 --> 01:54:26.000
Thank you. Arlene, it's nice to see you.

01:54:26.000 --> 01:54:27.000
Okay.

01:54:27.000 --> 01:54:29.000
It's great to see you too, Okay, this this has been like a really This has been a rich conversation.

01:54:29.000 --> 01:54:34.000
I thank you for the education. And for the interaction. I think Betsy for the organization of this, but gathering what she did.

01:54:34.000 --> 01:54:49.000
Oh, Betsy and Rains. I gotta bring rains into it. And I think everyone for attending.

01:54:49.000 --> 01:54:57.000
I thank you. Really for. Allowing us to hold a space and to think about this information.

01:54:57.000 --> 01:55:07.000
And share it out to your networks. We want, we want to spread this word out on these concepts about housing.

01:55:07.000 --> 01:55:13.000
Housing as a human right the issues that's impacting it what we need to do politically.

01:55:13.000 --> 01:55:22.000
The election that's about to happen. We want to push this information out. To the communities that you may be involved with.

01:55:22.000 --> 01:55:30.000
Whatever they might be because this is not insulated. It's part of a big cog. And it's moving.

01:55:30.000 --> 01:55:37.000
And we're all part of that. So I just wanna say. Please share this out with your network and I'd like to thank you for coming.

01:55:37.000 --> 01:55:39.000
Betsy?

01:55:39.000 --> 01:55:47.000
I notice that we have. Kiki Po from, She had to leave. Oh, she, what did her comments say?

01:55:47.000 --> 01:55:50.000
She's gone, yeah.

01:55:50.000 --> 01:55:55.000
Just have to check out. Thank you so much. Betsy, I'll follow up to get Morning Phone.

01:55:55.000 --> 01:55:59.000
Present. You to Emma about endorsing the tenant's Bill of Rights. Yes.

01:55:59.000 --> 01:56:09.000
Sweet. And, I just want to say Arlene and Carol and perhaps others of you, Rains and I personally are members of E.

01:56:09.000 --> 01:56:20.000
Even though and so Arlene and Carol have gone through this training program and process and are still members of EB.

01:56:20.000 --> 01:56:21.000
Yeah.

01:56:21.000 --> 01:56:38.000
I believe, you know, through your leadership program, which I give them great credit for even though This they came together as an association of affordable housing developers and bankers that support them, but mostly they have moved their programs the leadership to to make sure residents and community members are involved.

01:56:38.000 --> 01:56:46.000
So maybe. Just encourage that and that's great. Maybe we'll have meeting with them.

01:56:46.000 --> 01:56:54.000
Yeah, I just graduated from the leadership program Friday. Myself and as a young lady on here Gabriel Pierce.

01:56:54.000 --> 01:56:55.000
Oh sweet.

01:56:55.000 --> 01:57:01.000
She was part of my. Of my team where we have to, come up with a presentation.

01:57:01.000 --> 01:57:08.000
So, hey, Gabriel. And so we just graduated Friday and celebrated and so I'm so happy to see her face.

01:57:08.000 --> 01:57:09.000
Lovely young woman.

01:57:09.000 --> 01:57:19.000
Maybe you're part of that next stage of this, you know, because you're in the Yeah, just thinking about how to build this.

01:57:19.000 --> 01:57:21.000
Solidarity across and Thank you. Oh yeah. Yeah.

01:57:21.000 --> 01:57:29.000
And housing preservation. That's where our focus is at. That's what we, that's what our actually project was in the classroom.

01:57:29.000 --> 01:57:32.000
So we're looking to kind of keep this moving, keep this moving, keep this movement.

01:57:32.000 --> 01:57:54.000
So, we're gonna have ask people if you, we, see you're here today, would you put into the chat something if you know what organization you're with if it hasn't been obvious Just tell us something about people who's here today who are for the 1st time coming to a Great Panther meeting.

01:57:54.000 --> 01:57:59.000
So we're not gonna pass you with a lot of emails, but, it would be helpful to know.

01:57:59.000 --> 01:58:04.000
And we have also right up now, a slide that didn't got cut out of the slide show, but it's related to local action.

01:58:04.000 --> 01:58:12.000
That people can take. Great.

01:58:13.000 --> 01:58:24.000
But remember, this, this is affordable housing month. Is doing projects all through the month. Which street common has a product they've been working, ongoing, which 3 common is actually the largest.

01:58:24.000 --> 01:58:31.000
I don't know if anyone knows is the largest, encampment here in the city of Oakland, which in fact they close.

01:58:31.000 --> 01:58:32.000
And so

01:58:32.000 --> 01:58:37.000
Oh, they swept it. They. They took, yeah, sorry. Yeah.

01:58:37.000 --> 01:58:38.000
Okay.

01:58:38.000 --> 01:58:41.000
Terminology, tomato tomato is close. And so with that being said, it was the one year anniversary.

01:58:41.000 --> 01:58:50.000
That's the picture that you see up there with myself and now my hand was part of the California 4 People's campaign.

01:58:51.000 --> 01:59:04.000
And we went to the one year anniversary. Anniversary of the closure of which we common. And so Wish Recommons is also doing affordable housing month and different projects all from the month of April throughout the end of May I believe it is.

01:59:04.000 --> 01:59:11.000
And so anybody that's participating in an affordable housing month in any shape form of fashion. We want to be mindful of that.

01:59:11.000 --> 01:59:19.000
Go to Ed. Go to various sites. Look this information up and try to participate and share with your network if you can't just.

01:59:19.000 --> 01:59:22.000
Thank you.

01:59:22.000 --> 01:59:23.000
Juliet.

01:59:23.000 --> 01:59:30.000
Michael David, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. For your situation. I'm sorry for that.

01:59:30.000 --> 01:59:37.000
Julia Kato has any of

01:59:37.000 --> 01:59:41.000
Julia?

01:59:42.000 --> 01:59:52.000
Thank you. Now that we're done, I wanted to ask Betsy. It's my understanding that the degree of homelessness is far less in Europe than it is in this country.

01:59:54.000 --> 01:59:55.000
Is that the case?

01:59:55.000 --> 01:59:58.000
Well, in some cities and countries, yes. Because they, I mean, they certainly have the full range of mental illness.

01:59:58.000 --> 02:00:13.000
Drug problems and, and or and discrimination, you know, but there they've been better at preserving.

02:00:13.000 --> 02:00:24.000
Enough public housing and then social service housing. To help people sooner. You know, they do, but it's, they recognize those challenges.

02:00:24.000 --> 02:00:33.000
The big challenge that they're also facing is, you know, Syrian refugees. The war in Ukraine.

02:00:33.000 --> 02:00:43.000
Africans in Somalia and I guess is Rwanda. I mean, people who are driven out.

02:00:43.000 --> 02:00:51.000
Of their own countries that have no particular they you know and they can't even be in their own countries or villages.

02:00:51.000 --> 02:00:52.000
Hmm.

02:00:52.000 --> 02:01:03.000
You know, so they're much closer to that kind of mass. Mass eviction, essentially from people's homelands.

02:01:03.000 --> 02:01:09.000
So I think there's there's there and that's not always working well, you know.

02:01:09.000 --> 02:01:19.000
So they've got to even in those countries each have their own, you know, circumstances. But it is, you know, if you support.

02:01:19.000 --> 02:01:23.000
The UN Charter of Human Rights, then countries have obligations to help not only their own homeless, but this large mass of people.

02:01:24.000 --> 02:01:33.000
And, and the altar and it's very clear they're, they're clear in their statements.

02:01:33.000 --> 02:01:44.000
That doesn't mean government has to Government can't pay for everything. It's really I think about thinking about a 3rd way.

02:01:44.000 --> 02:01:50.000
You know, you know, so I won't try to go into it more, but because I don't have the answer.

02:01:50.000 --> 02:01:59.000
I just know bits and pieces and we all have the answer. I just know bits and pieces and we all have bits and pieces of a way forward.

02:01:59.000 --> 02:02:00.000
Yeah, well.

02:02:00.000 --> 02:02:01.000
Okay.

02:02:01.000 --> 02:02:03.000
That's how I see it or of the issues. So let me stop there. But what we do have, I did wanna mention that I didn't put up the slide, but we have such a disparity between the treatment of homeowners.

02:02:03.000 --> 02:02:33.000
Mind you, there have been. The realtor party has been lobbying for homeownership, but only insofar as it increases the value because that's where they get their commissions from and the money they use to lobby to support what they're about.

02:02:37.000 --> 02:02:38.000
Okay.

02:02:38.000 --> 02:02:42.000
And so far in this country, a homeowner gets about 6 times as much. Benefit from their owning as a renter gets from being low income.

02:02:42.000 --> 02:02:43.000
Yeah.

02:02:43.000 --> 02:02:54.000
I mean, 6 times. That's a lot of money. And when we talk about I mean, nobody wants to be considered rich and lose some of their their wealth, but that's another piece of unfairness.

02:02:54.000 --> 02:03:01.000
I mean, Norma mentioned. I'll stop.

02:03:01.000 --> 02:03:02.000
Oh, yeah.

02:03:02.000 --> 02:03:05.000
Yes, it is. Yes, it is in this book. On poverty that I read recently pointed that out that all of the people that are resentful of people getting help from the government.

02:03:05.000 --> 02:03:13.000
They pointed out that homeowners probably get more benefits than any of people on these programs.

02:03:13.000 --> 02:03:16.000
That's right. Yeah, yeah. And, and I don't think we're going to get change if it's a renters versus homeowners.

02:03:16.000 --> 02:03:32.000
You know, so that's why I feel it's important for us to understand who's been manipulating and paying.

02:03:32.000 --> 02:03:33.000
Right.

02:03:33.000 --> 02:03:36.000
Keep a certain systems going. Cause not all homeowners want to be screwing over the poor world.

02:03:36.000 --> 02:03:41.000
No, I mean, that's part of my work as a tenant activist to, point out.

02:03:41.000 --> 02:03:43.000
Yeah.

02:03:43.000 --> 02:03:49.000
That for the most part homeowners and tenants are on the same side of almost every issue except perhaps.

02:03:49.000 --> 02:03:55.000
A few mental issues and things like that, but we all want the same things for our cities. We're not natural enemies.

02:03:55.000 --> 02:04:00.000
And I resent people who try to pit us against each other.

02:04:00.000 --> 02:04:05.000
That's a really good point. Maria, what's the book on poverty? I think it's called Poor.

02:04:05.000 --> 02:04:06.000
Or is it called?

02:04:06.000 --> 02:04:09.000
No, the one I call is poverty by America.

02:04:09.000 --> 02:04:10.000
Okay, there's another book.

02:04:10.000 --> 02:04:13.000
It's an excellent book and I recommend it to everybody.

02:04:13.000 --> 02:04:21.000
Okay. Thanks. Yeah, Norma's mentioning we can save the chat and thank you.

02:04:21.000 --> 02:04:22.000
And

02:04:22.000 --> 02:04:26.000
And so we are, we are officially close. We are at 3 43. So we kind of ran into our great Panthers time and I'd like to.

02:04:26.000 --> 02:04:35.000
YeahWill you closeOkay

 

The March East Bay Gray Panthers Speaker Meeting!

Purely virtual - from your home via Zoom

Video is below.

Women’s History Month

with Jovanka Beckles and Tiny Gray-Garcia

1:30 Welcome:

... and more action updates from members and the community.

---

www.eastbaygraypanthers.org

*******************

Join or renew your voting membership ($35/year) DONATE at:

www.eastbaygraypanthers.org

Call 510-842-6224

Follow us on Facebook!

**************

---

 

Speaker Meetings are regular gatherings on the Fourth Wednesday of most months. We focus on special topics with guest speakers as well as highlighting Gray Panther and partner activities

For many Berkeley events of interest, see Kelly Hammargren's Activist Diary in the Berkeley Daily Planet, at https://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/ - click Current Issue for the latest updates. 

Currently the Monthly Meeting and Board Meetings are by zoom or phone-in but we are scheduling occasional outdoor and safe in-person gatherings in 2024! 

Get in touch with any questions: 510-842-6224 voice or text

The February East Bay Gray Panthers Speaker Meeting!

Purely virtual - from your home via Zoom

Our guest speaker this month was the legendary fierce and inspiring

Elaine Brown

1:30 Welcome:

Featured Speaker: Elaine Brown

and more action updates from members and the community.

---

www.eastbaygraypanthers.org

*******************

Join or renew your voting membership ($35/year) DONATE at:

www.eastbaygraypanthers.org

Call 510-842-6224

Follow us on Facebook!

**************

---

 

Speaker Meetings are regular gatherings on the Fourth Wednesday of most months. We focus on special topics with guest speakers as well as highlighting Gray Panther and partner activities

For many Berkeley events of interest, see Kelly Hammargren's Activist Diary in the Berkeley Daily Planet, at https://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/ - click Current Issue for the latest updates. 

Currently the Monthly Meeting and Board Meetings are by zoom or phone-in but we are scheduling occasional outdoor and safe in-person gatherings in 2024! 

Get in touch with any questions: 510-842-6224 voice or text

2023 MONTHLY SPEAKERS MEETING - Notes and video! 

Wednesday, January 25,1:30 to 4pm  

1:30 Opening Welcomes

Remembering Chimey Lee

“We Are Not Alone”

 Short greetings from leaders of Live Oak Project, Sage-ing International

and Elder Action Network, and East Bay Elder Action

 2PM- Featured Speakers

Myron Wollin and Karen Reside

 Long Beach Gray Panthers

Secrets of Longevity or “What can you do with 22 Interns?”

Q&A and Discussion

++++

2:45  - Hali Hammer and Joe Leisner, Peoples Park Council

In the Courtroom and on the Sidewalk –3 generations of dreamers and defenders

BREAK

3:10 PM  - Diving Deeper: Homelessness, Health, and Housing Access

Who’s calling on the Gray Panthers? What can we do? 
Opportunities for volunteers, jobs, training
Poll for priorities and speakers

Announcements from Members;  Guests as time permits

(Let the convenors know ahead of time, and raise your hand)

3:30 Closing Poems

Informal Discussion until 4pm

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Upcoming Events 

Feb 3 – East Bay Transit Equity Days - zoom rally. 

Feb 11, Peoples Assembly on Growing Berkeley's Black Community, led by Healthy Black Families, San Pablo Park/Frances Albrier Community Center

Feb. 23 – 1:30 next EBGP Speaker Meeting

 TBA - Homelessness Stakeholder Summit 

March 17 - Buses to Bakersfield - Rally to Defend Medicare and Social Security at Kevin McCarthy's home turf 

 *******

For more information, see calendar and RSVP at www.eastbaygraypanthers.org

*******************

Join or renew at: www.eastbaygraypanthers.org

510-842-6224

Follow us on Facebook!

**************

---

Speaker Meetings are regular gatherings on the Fourth Wednesday of the month. We highlight special topics and guest speakers as well as Gray Panther and partner activities -  and discussion with all participants as time permits. Other GP meetings and events organized by our coalition and solidarity partners are also listed. 

For many events of interest in Berkeley, see Kelly Hammargren's Activist Diary in the Berkeley Daily Planet, at https://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2023-01-15  - click Current Issue for this latest updates. 

Currently the Monthly Meeting and Board Meetings are by zoom or phone-in but we are scheduling occasional outdoor and safe in-person gatherings in 2022-2023! 

Get in touch with any questions: 510-842-6224 voice or text

For occasional emails, join our contacts list.

Member dues and donations, through the DONATE button or by check to our PO box