As a direct result of California’s history of redlining and divestment from Black and Brown neighborhoods, the Bay Area housing and displacement crisis has hit the low-income communities of color we serve the hardest. In addition to providing zealous eviction defense to families experiencing housing emergencies, we strive to implement long-term policy solutions that prioritize people over profit.

We also recognize homelessness as both a human rights crisis and a racial justice issue. We are the only legal organization in the East Bay with a practice devoted to advocacy for the human, civil, and constitutional rights of people experiencing homelessness. Until housing is truly enshrined as a human right, we will continue to fight to improve the security, dignity, and quality of life of people without homes.

Current projects:

• Securing and extending the nation’s longest and strongest eviction moratorium for Alameda County
• Designing Berkeley’s Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act and Advocating for TOPA policies across the state
• Supporting the Berkeley community in designing a Local Preference Policy
• Securing COVID-related emergency eviction protections across Bay Area counties and cities

Past wins:

• Sanchez V. Caltrans Class Action: securing damages for unsheltered people whose property was destroyed
• Challenging the constitutionality of the Oakland Housing Authority’s Loitering Ordinance
• Restoring tenants’ credit scores through student-authored AB-2819 or “Phil’s Bill”

For more information, contact Jay Kim, Co-Deputy Director, jkim@ebclc.org.

Learn more about all of EBCLC’s Policy Initiatives…

All Policy Work | Targeting Redlining | Decriminalizing Poverty | Expanding Economic Opportunity| Protecting Youth of Color | Centering Health