Dangerous Ideas

Like CJWP (who are organizing an APIs for Aimee Allison event in Oakland Chinatown this weekend!, the Oakland Tenants Union is one of the members of the Stop the Chinatown Evictions Coalition. The OTU is asking supporters to help with funding due to the lack of available grant money. They’re a great organization that does great things for tenants without charging membership dues.

Here’s a message from Eddie Fair of the OTU:

Dear Supporters of the Oakland Tenants Union,

The Oakland Tenants Union (OTU) is writing to request your help in maintaining our operations. For seven years, the OTU has been providing information and services to tenants: keeping tenants informed of their rights, representing tenants on issues of rent control in front of the Rent Adjustment Program, monitoring activities at City Hall and the state legislature, ensuring that tenant needs and concerns are understood and addressed in ordinances and laws written. The OTU was a driving force in helping get the Just Cause Eviction Ordinance passed, in writing the rent control ordinance, and currently leading the fight to prevent unlimited conversion of apartments to condominiums.

Understanding that many Oakland tenants live close to the poverty level, the OTU has typically not required membership dues or charged fees to tenants for our services.

Instead, we have managed to maintain our services through volunteer help, spontaneous donations from tenants for services provided, and from two grants from the Vanguard Foundation. In fact, grants have been the largest source of our operating budget. Unfortunately, grants are harder to come buy in the current economy as more nonprofits compete for them. Thus, the OTU must now turn to our membership for donations to maintain our phone services, PO Box, website, and many community activities on behalf of tenants.

Check our website www.oaklandtenantsunion.org to see some of the activities we are currently involved in. Then, please give as generously as you are able so the OTU can continue to serve tenants.

Address your check or money order to Oakland Tenants Union and mail it to: Oakland Tenants Union, 4043 Piedmont Avenue, Box 227, Oakland, CA. 94611.