If you value what you get from Berkeleyside, please join us with atax-deductible donationso we can continue doing the local reporting that matters to you. 3. (The candidates will also be collecting signatures for their nominating papers; if they cant get enough signatures from Berkeley voters, they wont even be allowed to appear on the ballot!). Chang, Laverde and Selawsky have termed out, opening up three seats on the board. On Sunday, July 31, the Convention Planning Committee and its member organizations put out a call for candidates. See a full list of candidate forums in Berkeley. Over the past decade, Ive helped thousands of Berkeleyans regain their functional mobility and move forward with their lives. (Public financing matches donations 6:1. I believe its important to understand and relate to tenants and landlords. Only those applicants who were selected in the lottery will be able to register by clicking on the following link:Login - My Housing, For more information, call the pre-recorded Informational Line at 510-981-5495. Every election year since 1994, the Rent Board Convention has selected the progressive,pro-tenant slate for the open seats on the Berkeley Rent Board. 2022 Berkeley Rent Board Convention It also helps your family, friends and Berkeley neighbors have access to reliable, independent reporting. Its an at-large race, meaning Berkeley residents can vote for five rent board members regardless of where they live in the city. Well have free breakfast and coffee for all volunteers! COVID-19: Information for Tenants & Landlords, City of Berkeley Ordinances Affecting Rental Properties. Importantly, we need leaders on the rent board who are focused on achieving results and bridging divides in our community. Berkeleyside wants to help you get to know your 2022 candidates for Berkeley City Council, School Board, Rent Stabilization Board and more. So for instance, if you donate the $10, the candidates receives $60. For use by landlords passing through a portion of the registration fee as authorized by the Rent Board to tenants whose tenancies started before 1/1/1999. by Supriya Yelimeli March 23, 2021, 8:00 a.m. When the moratorium is lifted, the RSB Ordinance must be followed, while council continues to fund legal services to represent low-income tenants. Berkeley Rent Board Registration Annual General Adjustment (AGA) Rent Board Meetings Housing Counselor Appointments Important COVID-19 Information Holiday Closure: The Rent Board Office will be closed for the holidays from Monday, December 26th - Monday, January 2nd. I will make sure the rent board has consistent communication with tenant and landlord organizations to help disseminate critical information, particularly through social media presence. I want to ensure our ability to keep living in this diverse city with a rich history of progressive politics. Parts of the ordinance will still be in effect as the pandemic emergency is lifted, and it will be our role to ensure they are being enforced, always with fairness and justice in mind. Something went wrong. Our Rent Adjustment Petitionspage has information on the petitions and hearings process. 4. I still love basketball, but it was definitely the right choice for me. Alpert is vice-chair of the board and the only incumbent running for re-election on a slate of progressive, pro-tenant candidates with Martinac, Marrero, Mosaed and Mizell. Persons with disabilities need to know of their rights to accommodations and their rights under the elevator ordinance. This year, there will be FIVE seats up for election. Anyone registered to vote in Berkeley (including students) is eligible to run for so long as they fully support tenants rights. Phone: 510-548-4040, Eviction Defense Center {{#label}}{{label}}: {{/label}}{{message}}. Carole Marasovic: Serving on the rent board is a segue from my long-term commitment to the Berkeley community including my extensive work making housing policy recommendations. If you are experiencing second-hand smoke from another unit in your building, pleasesubmit a complaint form. Berkeley Rent Board. We are way behind where we need to be, which has been exacerbated by a lack of new student housing. I plan to closely monitor any court decision that may affect Berkeleysmoratorium. The 2022 Annual Security Deposit Interest Rate is 0.1%, 2023 Adjustments of Relocation Assistance Payments. This year, there are FIVE seats up for election in November on the Rent Board. Our long-time renters earn just enough to scrape by and need strong rental protections to prevent them from being displaced from Berkeley. Tenants have until May 31, 2023, or one year from when the state of emergency ends, whichever is sooner, to pay back-rent from March 17, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2021. You can come to the Ashby BART Station parking lot in South Berkeley THIS THURSDAY (8/11) between 4:30PM and 9PM to drop off checks and sign the matching funds forms. Martinac: I love to study languages and have dabbled in 10 altogether. Mendonca is vying for a city council seat in District 8, opened up by Councilmember Lori Drostes departure. More info: Rental Assistance Program (The City of Berkeley is discussing reinstating the Rental Assistance funding as part of discussions on "antidisplacement" in Summer 2017) SEEDS Community Resolution Center (Mediation) 2530 San Pablo Ave. Suite A Berkeley, CA 94702 Telephone: (510) 548-2377 www.seedscrc.org Evict This The 2022 Convention was sponsored by the Berkeley Tenants Union, Friends of Adeline, the East Bay Democratic Socialists of America, the Young Democratic Socialists of America UC Berkeley, Our Revolution East Bay, Healthy Black Families, Berkeley Citizens Action, the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club, the Gray Panthers, the Green Party, SEIU 1021, the Center for Independent Living, and the new Berkeley Progressive Alliance. Voting in the 2022 Berkeley Rent Board Convention has now begun! was born on or before July 16, 2009), Important Links* Website: berkeleytenantsconvention.net Email: berkeleytenantsconvention@gmail.com Convention Recording: bit.ly/2022ConventionRecording Candidate Questionnaire Responses:bit.ly/2022CandidateQuestionnaires Candidate Ratings and Evaluations: bit.ly/2022RentBoardScreenings, Due to increased volunteer capacity, the 2022 Berkeley Rent Board Convention Planning Committee has extended the ballot request deadline by three days to Monday, July 11 at 11:59PM. Thats why were publishing questionnaires with local candidates. The 2022 Convention was sponsored by the Berkeley Tenants Union, Friends of Adeline, the East Bay Democratic Socialists of America, the Young Democratic Socialists of America UC Berkeley, Our Revolution East Bay, Healthy Black Families, Berkeley Citizens Action, the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club, the Gray Panthers, the Green Party, SEIU 1021, the Center for Independent Living, and the new Berkeley Progressive Alliance. Stefan Elgstrand: The housing crisis makes maintaining roots in Berkeley increasingly unaffordable and unattainable for too many. The most vulnerable tenants, seniors and persons with disabilities, frequently require additional assistance. The rent board sends out annual mailers and has a public information unit responsible for outreach and education, but clearly more needs to be done. The 2022 Annual Security Deposit Interest Rate is 0.1%, 2023 Adjustments of Relocation Assistance Payments. The financialization of the housing market, the subprime mortgage meltdown, government bailout of banks, compounded by the deregulation of the housing and banking sector, led to the working class inability to buy homes and growing numbers of tenants. Want to drop literature but cant make the time for the big lit drops? Fill out the RSVP form and indicate in the last question that you cant make this lit drop. On Tuesday, August 9, the 2022 Berkeley Rent Board Convention Planning Committee announced that Berkeleyans had voted to select Nathan Mizell as the final member of the progressive, pro-tenant slate for Berkeleys Rent Board. RSVP on Facebook * by Saturday, July 16 (i.e. Failure to bring the rental unit into compliance with the implied warranty of habitability, as shown by an outstanding Notice of Violation from the City of Berkeleys Housing Code Enforcement, and/or failure to comply with a Rent Board Hearing Examiners Decision. The new Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board director has received a 24% raise after the board decided DeSeana Williams was being "severely" underpaid in comparison to other department heads in Berkeley. This event will be conducted outdoors in a safe, socially distanced manner. The 2022 Convention was sponsored by the Berkeley Tenants Union, Friends of Adeline, the East Bay Democratic Socialists of America, the Young Democratic Socialists of America UC Berkeley, Our Revolution East Bay, Healthy Black Families, Berkeley Citizens Action, the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club, the Gray Panthers, the Green Party, SEIU 1021, the Center for Independent Living, and the new Berkeley Progressive Alliance. Please try again later. Marasovic: At my first position as a mental health worker, after I reported a co-worker, and his associates, for molesting children, no action was taken. (An appointment will likely be required by calling 510-981-6900. Confirmed sponsors of this years convention include the Berkeley Tenants Union, Friends of Adeline, the East Bay Democratic Socialists of America, the Young Democratic Socialists of America UC Berkeley, Our Revolution East Bay, Healthy Black Families, Berkeley Citizens Action, the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club, the Gray Panthers, the Green Party, SEIU 1021, the Center for Independent Living, and the new Berkeley Progressive Alliance. As an immigrant and single mother who has had to move 11 times since coming to the Bay Area in 2003, I have lived the working-class struggle of building community while repeatedly being priced out of my home. Make sure you always report in writing to the manager or landlord when repairs are needed. Your donation goes beyond supporting our journalism. City of Berkeley information related to rental units Affordable Housing Resources: Includes information about Below Market Rate (BMR) units, and a link to the list of properties with BMR units. Alpert: No. All rights reserved. In 12 years, Ive met with, touched and healed more than 10,000 Berkeleyans. Berkeleyside is Berkeley, Californias independently-owned local news site. Mizell: I was once known for my height. They have all qualified for the election to fill the open seats. The rent board and Berkeleys Rent Stabilization and Eviction for Good Cause Ordinance are two of the critical tools with some ability to combat the effects of these issues in the rental ecosystem. Berkeleys rent board has a unique role that should focus on the protection of tenants and hold accountable bad actors. Voters had through Monday, August 8 to cast their ballot, and ultimately selected Mizell as the final candidate. Currently studying French on Duolingo at my leisure. STORM: Mudslides Reservoirs filling Sewage in the Bay | PEOPLE'S PARK: Court ruling nears | COVID: What to know | WE'RE HIRING: Public safety reporter. Q&As with rent board candidates follow. Many challenges lie ahead, and I wish to tackle them. Relocation Assistance, Petition to Determine the Initial Rent for a Non-comparable Replacement Unit. Join the Berkeley Tenants Union (BTU), Friends of Adeline, and the whole community as we drop literature for endorsed candidates and ballot measures! Please be advised that pursuant to the Resolutions and the findings contained therein that the spread of COVID-19 continues to be a threat to the public health and that holding meetings of City legislative bodies in person would present imminent risks to the health and safety of the public and members of legislative bodies. 90 days for rent increases of more than 10%. I helped write the Tenant Protection Ordinance, a landmark legislation to provide civil remedies to harassment. 2023 Based on this formula, the Berkeley Rent Board has adopted the 2023 AGA of 4.4%. Please consider making a donation to help us cover all of our costs. The Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board is continuing to host free virtual workshops for tenants and landlords to help them navigate changing laws and understand common rental processes during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they can continue to take steps to provide as much education and as many resources as possible for both tenants and owners who have questions about the moratorium. We need to improve and modernize our online and social media outreach so that we can connect with those folks as well, without giving up our current effective methods. During the application period for the PAB, we held an informative webinar explaining the new board and the role of PAB board members. Every election year since 1994, the Rent Board Convention selects the progressive, pro-tenant slate for the open seats on the Berkeley Rent Board. I have been recognized for my service to social justice and received a multitude of awards, recommendations and recognitions. Eight candidates are running for five seats on Berkeleys Rent Stabilization Board in November, with only one incumbent up for re-election. If you still cannot find your ballot, then please email berkeleytenantsconvention@gmail.com. While there are many variables causing this, a key one is the lack of housing. in Berkeley, perBerkeley Municipal Code 12.70. For more information, please email berkeleytenantsconvention@gmail.com. Election 2022 Rent Stabilization Board race, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. In Berkeley rent board race, evictions, housing stock are up for debate Candidates are strongly in favor of anti-displacement measures, but vary on just-cause evictions for small units. Our Rent Adjustment Petitions page has information on the petitions and hearings process. Rents have become increasingly astronomical, which substantially has decreased socioeconomic, racial and other diversity. If you donate $20, the candidate receives $120.) Your donation goes beyond supporting our journalism. Important Links Website: berkeleytenantsconvention.net Email: berkeleytenantsconvention@gmail.com Facebook Event: bit.ly/2022RentBoardConvention Candidate Application/Packet: bit.ly/2022CandidatePacket Convention Zoom Link: bit.ly/2022ConventionZoom Candidate Questionnaire Responses:bit.ly/2022CandidateQuestionnaires Candidate Ratings and Evaluations: bit.ly/2022RentBoardScreenings Request an ELECTRONIC Ballot: bit.ly/2022BallotRequest Request a PAPER Ballot: bit.ly/2022PaperBallotRequest*, Convention Timeline Sunday, May 22: Candidate questionnaire is due Early June (likely two dates within 6/4 6/11): Mandatory candidate interview Wednesday, June 29 at 7-9PM: Convention occurs on Zoom Monday, July 11: Last day to request a ballot Saturday, July 16: Last day to vote. The next Board will be in charge of implementing what could likely be the first expansion of local rent control and eviction protections in Berkeley in over 40 years., Wed like to thank all the candidates, the Convention organizers, and the hundreds of voters who participated in this years Convention, said Planning Committee Co-Chair Matthew Lewis. Incumbent Soli Alpert is running along with Stefan Elgstrand, Carole Marasovic, Vanessa Danielle Marrero, Ida Martinac, Nathan Mizell, Wendy Saenz Hood and Negeene Mosaed. I am also concerned for the ability of elderly and disabled Berkeley tenants to age in place with dignity. Delivered to your inbox at 5 p.m., the Daily Briefing brings you all the latest Berkeley news in one handy place. For units with eviction protection, a landlord in Berkeley can only evict for one of 12 reasons, also known as just causes, which are: Non-payment of rent; Breach of lease; Willful, substantial damage to the rental unit that tenant refuses to repair; Refusal to sign a new lease that is substantially identical to the expired one; Click here for the donation links! Free for all, funded by readers. Any member of the public may attend this meeting. The 2022 Convention took place the evening of Wednesday, June 29. The Board's timeline is very tight, with written applications due next week, but anyone can apply. Both of my parents are 5-foot-7. Hundreds of Berkeleyans voted in this years Convention. As a Cal student I served in a number of student leadership capacities pushing the university to keep its word to Black students and other marginalized groups. The vacancy tax is necessary in the city of Berkeley, we have too many vacant units that are creating scarcity and increasing rents. * Candidates are listed in a random order. Anyone who has questions about the Convention including prospective candidates, voters, or the press should email berkeleytenantsconvention@gmail.com. Alpert: Im proud that the board conducts events throughout our community to meet tenants and small landlords where they are with critical information. ). Elgstrand: While I was not born here, I can be considered a third-generation Berkeleyan. I have worked to secure millions of dollars in rental assistance, helping tenants and small property owners weather through the financial uncertainties caused by the pandemic. Email comments must be submitted to the email address above by 5:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting in order to be included. I know whats going on and whats NOT going well! There are lots of additional ways to help the Slate including literature drops on your own time and phonebanking. July 15, 2022 Rent Board Amends the Rules and Regulations re Housing Inventory Reporting Requirements After a public hearing on July 12, 2022, the Rent Board's Rules and Regulations were amended by the Rent Board's Commission to add Part 13, titled "Reporting Obligations Under Rent Ordinance Section 37.15". 2022. If you are using this form to register a rental unit, you must ALSO file a VR. We need to ensure tenants have long-term protections to prevent displacement and ensure their unique needs are being adequately addressed. All rights reserved. The Annual General Adjustment (AGA) allows landlords of most (but not all) units fully covered by Berkeleys Rent Stabilization Ordinance (Ordinance) to raise the rent by a set percent with proper notice, starting January 1. I believe, with community, I can bring important leadership to the board. Click here to donate to Vanessa! Latest News The 2022 Annual Security Deposit Interest Rate is 0.1% Im honored to join these four remarkable individuals on the slate, said Mizell. This form requests basic information about the property, such as the address, when the unit will be available for inspection and occupancy and how much you are requesting for rent and security deposit. Berkeleyside relies on reader support to remain free for everyone in our community. To donate, go to berkeleytenants.org and click the yellow Donate button in the upper right corner of the websites homepage (please type Convention in the Add a message to BTU line). Berkeley Rent Board The Berkeley Neighborhoods Council hosted a forum for the rent board candidates. To report initial tenancy information and annual updates. Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board Rent Adjustment Petition forms. I see the rent board as the main education, outreach and enforcement mechanism for Berkeley tenants in this challenging situation. Their agony drove me to advocacy because few of them know their rights or the protections provided by just-cause evictions, tenant protections and rent-control laws. July 13, 2022 In addition, under Rent Board Regulations 1100 and 1145, landlords cannot take the AGA in the following cases: For more information, including Notice of Rent Increase forms, please see the following web pages: Keep up with City of Berkeley news via ournews page,email, or onTwitter @cityofberkeley. Annual security deposit interest payments are due by December 31! All rights reserved. This decision allows the Committee to invite new candidates to apply for a position on the progressive, pro-tenant slate. Please come to the Grove Park in South Berkeley on Sunday, October 30 starting at 12PM. You will be my friend forever if you ask to see my dice collection. As a parent, I know many parents and children have been struggling through the pandemic, and even before the pandemic, and believe there is an opening for the rent board to collaborate with the Berkeley Unified School District on an outreach program to educate Berkeley parents on resources available to them. Housing Retention Program Rental Housing Safety Program Well be dropping literature till 4PM! This extension applies to requests for both electronic ballots and paper ballots (which are intended for individuals without internet access). The Berkeley Rent Board Convention seeks candidates by THIS THURSDAY, August 4 to fill a vacancy on the 2022 Progressive, Pro-Tenant Berkeley Rent Board Slate. East Bay Community Law Center We asked candidates why they were running and what theyve accomplished, and to spell out their views on what should be done before and after the eviction moratorium is lifted and whether they think Berkeley has a healthy rental ecosystem.