Archive for October 2008
Youth United for Community Action (YUCA) has released Homeless Now? East Palo Alto Tenants Struggle to Pay Rent Increases. The report documents the experiences and amplifies the voices of low-income community members facing steep and illegal rent increases for poorly maintained buildings. In collaboration with tenants, YUCA produced the report to expose the abusive practices of Page Mill Properties and inform public opinion, particularly San Mateo County Superior Court Judges. Homeless Now? complements the community mobilization efforts of several grassroots East Palo Alto groups toward identifying and enforcing a legal solution which upholds tenants rights. YUCA utilized the Foundation’s Capacity Building and Opportunity Fund to underwrite a portion of the publication costs.
Through referendums in 1993 and 1996, the people of New York City have supported term limits for elected officials. Still, self-made billionaire and two-term New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg seeks a third consecutive term based largely on the claim that his financial expertise is needed to help manage the fragile financial situation. Right to the City NYC, a coalition of grassroots groups and their allies, opposes the extension of term limits. The coalition works to ensure the city’s development priorities and practices reflect the voices of working class and poor people. Right to the City NYC includes several HSF partners, Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence (CAAAV), Community Voices Heard (CVH), Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE) and Fabulous Independent Educated Radicals for Community Empowerment (FIERCE). The coalition issued a statement on October 16th. Click here to read the statement.