Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf (above at a Bisnow event) issued an executive order this week calling for property owners to create compliance plans within 60 days after receiving citations for permit or zoning violations. The order is an effort to avoid evictions and to help keep artists in Oakland, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.
Mayor Schaaf also issued her support of a proposed ordinance from Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan that would increase relocation fees paid to tenants kicked out of nonpermitted housing or poorly maintained living spaces. The fees would increase to $6,500 for a studio or one-bedroom from $3,446; to $8k for a two-bedroom from $4,346; and $9,875 for a three-bedroom from $6,034.
The law targets landlords who allow rental units to go into disrepair and then use code violations as a means to evict tenants. The law would not apply to situations where tenants create code violations.
The executive order and proposed ordinance come on the heels of the Dec. 2 Ghost Ship fire, which killed 36 people in an illegally converted warehouse. The fire has since brought up issues of safety and housing affordability for artists within Oakland and throughout the Bay Area. [SFC]
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