Oakland Annual Rent Adjustment Program report

agenda: https://oakland.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=276780&GUID=EECC4FF0-9DDA-4BBF-8409-E8B0E83712ED

4. Subject: Annual Rent Adjustment Report
From: Department Of Housing And Community Development
Recommendation: Receive The Annual Report Of The Rent Adjustment Program For Fiscal Year 2012-2013

report: https://oakland.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=2746376&GUID=7B35E99F-6B22-46CF-9794-B0F56B04078A

a FY 2012-13 stat:
- approximately 13,400 eviction notices. [in 2011, there were approx. 94,000 occupied rental units in Oakland with an average "household" size of 2.4 people] 13.4k/94k = 14% !!! eviction rate during the last fiscal year. That is horrendous!

[there was a slightly less increase in petitions this last fiscal year and they attribute this to] ... "in part to an economy that continues to improve." The stock market has increased in part due to QE1, 2, 3, ad infinitum. Generalissimo W.J. Clinton changed unemployment stats to make the NAFTA debacle look less ominous so the current roughly 30% unemployment, underemployment (forced part time) and those who are not currently collecting unemployment insurance due to having exhausted the benefit would look less - the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists unemployment as 7%. Hmmm?

"Public Outreach/Interest"
- these are basically a joke. Almost none of the tenants of Oakland know of the Rent Ordinance/Regulations. That's why there are so few petitions. Call the Rent Adjustment Program (510-238-3721) and request the "General Information" packet, the "Tenant" packet and the "Landlord" packet. They will mail you a paper copy for free. Don't try to navigate their pages on the city website. You will become confused and generally uninformed. Tenants are provided no protections under these ordinances/regulations unless one petitions. Request the packets, read them, and then petition everything!

"Coordination"
"... Informational flyers have been distributed to recipients of CDBG funds." Ever try to get on the distribution list for meetings of the Communicty Development Block Grant program? I have for over two years. Good luck. It's for insider "stakeholders" only. I'll bet even the giant evils of Google, Facebook, Twitter, and the NSA can't figure out what is happening within that cabal.

"Cost Summary/Implications"
Renters pay for everything regarding the building/property they live in/on. Plus, they pay extra for the owner-investor's profit. In the wonderful fairytale-land of the RAP, renters only pay half of the $30/unit/year fee. In fact, renters pay all of it. Once again, renters pay for all of the costs associated with the building and property (property taxes, mortgage, utilities, business taxes/fees, maintenance, investor's profit, etc.).

"Cost Summary"
$2.1 million annual expenses and there are only TWO hearing officers. Kasdan & Cohen. Cohen is moderately bad and Kasen is worse. If you are a renter, look where all of the $30 annual fee goes. You will not be happy.

Show up and give the council members a piece of your mind. They have no idea what this program is really about. They are not renters and they only care about the owner-investors.

Also, did you know the Housing, Residential Rent and Relocation Board is supposed to produce the annual report? They don't. In fact, they don't even receive the report. That's disgusting and disheartening. They have no idea of the stats backing what they are supposed to rule on.

Finally, hey, the RAP manager even placed some comments under each of the three Agenda 21 "E" items at the end of the report. Kudos?