Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tenant Advocacy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tenants, land trusts urge council to advance TOPA to keep long-term residents housed
Summary
Dozens of residents, tenants and nonprofit land-trust representatives told the council at a special meeting that TOPA (and COPPA-style programs) would preserve affordable homes and give tenants a fair opportunity to buy or partner with nonprofits before investors list properties.
Dozens of public commenters spoke in favor of the proposed Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, telling the council that the policy would give renters a chance to buy their buildings or partner with nonprofit land trusts and prevent displacement.
"TOPA is a common sense solution," said Renee Denise, a tenant who said she has lived in a building for 13 years and faced multiple eviction notices after a sale. Betty Gray, a resident who described herself as having been nearly homeless, told council members "TOPA has saved my life," saying the ability to keep her home had a profound impact on her stability.
Nonprofit housing experts and land-trust representatives said the ordinance would connect directly with Berkeley's recent small-sites investment. Jasmine Sozzi of the East Bay Community Law Center noted Berkeley's $10,000,000 commitment to the Small Sites Program and said TOPA-type protections could let that funding be used more effectively for acquisitions.
Speakers asked the council to preserve or expand affordable housing options rather than leave buildings to out-of-town speculative buyers; they urged the council to give staff time to craft an approach that balances tenant protection with administrative feasibility.
