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HOUSING JUSTICE

Policy Tools for Transformative Change: the 5 Ps

Nicole Montojo

July 2, 2020

Daniele Fogel

Eli Moore

AUTHORIAL SUPPORT

PRESENTER

DATE

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visioning

to

action

moving from

Visioning is essential to transformative change, and so is action. But with action it's sometimes hard to know where to start.

sometimes ― often times ― you have to start with transactional change. transactional not inherently bad.
as we struggle right now, where we are right now - need to protect our communities, stop the harm - clear, immediately actionable

then at the same time:

what kind of reforms could be stepping stones vs. ‘reformist reforms’ that further entrench status quo? - that’s where the “values filter”
what is the sequencing;
targeted strategies for different root causes - no ‘silver bullet’ / no ‘single driver'
different solutions for differently situated people and places

In analyzing and developing ideas for policy, the Othering & Belonging Institute uses a framework we call targeted universalism. "Universalism” refers to the idea that there should be a universal goal that will be achieved—for instance, making housing affordable for all residents. But for all to reach that universal goal, the policy must also be “targeted,” meaning it must include strategies specific to the particular barriers that some people face and others do not.

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Rent Stabilization

Bay Area Cities with Rent Control/ Stabilization (& year adopted)�

Richmond (2016)
Mountain View (2016)
Oakland (2002)
San Francisco (1987)
East Palo Alto (1983)

Only 22 out of 482 cities in California have meaningful rent control and just cause protections (Tenants Together).
3 out of 4 Bay Area renter households aren’t covered by rent stabilization (PolicyLink).
Existing controls do not limit rent increases between tenancies or cover newer homes.

Hayward (1983)
Los Gatos (1980)
Berkeley (1980)
San Jose (1979)

Active Rent Control Campaigns Led by Tenant Unions Across the Bay

source: anti-eviction mapping project

Rent control campaigns have been driven by rent stabilization, a key ingredient for active change.

Rent Control - limits on annual increases, limited in CA by Costa Hawkins. - even in cities with rent control, only a portion of renters are protected.

The Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act is a California state law, enacted in 1995, which limits local municipalities from passing certain kinds of rent control, and ensures that landlords can set any initial rent when a new tenancy is established. Primarily, the law: • Prohibits rent control on single-family homes and condos, even for rentals owned by large investors or corporate landlords. • Prohibits rent control on “new” construction,* essentially capping the statewide rent control housing stock at 1995 levels or after the date the city passed rent control. • Mandates vacancy decontrol, prohibiting laws that regulate an owner’s ability to increase the rent as new tenants move into a unit. The legal right for a landlord to raise rents on vacant units has incentivized the eviction of long term tenants in these units and continues to shrink the amount of genuinely affordable rental units.

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the 5 Ps: Toward a Comprehensive Approach

Power

Preservation

Protection

Production

Placement

step 1:

stop the harm

start here

Adapted from BARHII, barhii.org

Rent control is a baseline protection, but it alone is not enough. A first step, really about anti-displacement, stopping the harm of housing instability.
But going back to the idea of targeted universalism, we need different solutions for different housing needs/problems - multiple crises that need to be addressed. As we saw yesterday, so many forces coming to bear on communities.
The conversation often centers around false dichotomies - part of our work is to change that; insist on all of them, and particularly the solutions that protect the most marginalized and ones that create pathways toward transformative change?
One framework that’s grounded OBI's work is the 5 Ps. Will briefly go over them and provide a few examples of policy solutions that have been developed ― by no means all of the options, and there’s so much work still to do to design new approaches, because obviously, society hasn’t figured this out yet.

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the 5 Ps: Toward a Comprehensive Approach

Protection

step 1:

stop the harm

start here

rent stabilization/control
just cause for eviction
fair housing/anti-discrimination laws
fair tenant screening policy

Protecting residents means ensuring renters can remain in their homes and don’t experience the health impacts of housing instability or displacement and can continue to contribute to a healthy, vibrant community

Adapted from BARHII, barhii.org

Causa Justa : Just Cause
Tenants Together
Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE)
Safe Return Project
National Housing Law Project

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the 5 Ps: Toward a Comprehensive Approach

PRESERVATION of existing housing at all affordability levels - a commitment to maintaining affordable units despite changing economic conditions, and replacing units at the same affordability levels for the same residents when preserving units is impossible.

Preservation

funding for acquisition & rehabilitation of older affordable homes (e.g. by land trusts or nonprofit developers)
tenant opportunity to purchase policies
demolition/�replacement policies (e.g for SROs)

Adapted from BARHII, barhii.org

Oakland CLT
East Bay PREC
Richmond LAND
Chinatown CDC

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the 5 Ps: Toward a Comprehensive Approach

removing exclusionary & restrictive land use barriers,
inclusionary zoning/inclusionary housing policies
public funding: bond measures, linkage fees
Building public & affordable housing, �including transitional & supportive housing
public land policy

PRODUCTION of new housing units at needed affordability levels, and prioritizing balanced housing production through regulations and incentives for developers as well as through a commitment to using public resources for affordable housing.

Production

Adapted from BARHII, barhii.org

EBHO (east bay); CCHO (sf)
Urban Habitat (public land)
Destination HOME �(San Jose)
National Low Income Housing Coalition

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the 5 Ps: Toward a Comprehensive Approach

PLACEMENT of housing near resources & opportunities. Housing in the Bay Area should support residents’ health in a comprehensive, holistic way. This means locating homes by transit and healthy food sources and away from sources of pollution, and ensuring ensuring equitable access to affordable housing in these places.

Siting/building affordable housing in high-resource neighborhoods
Neighborhood & community development w/o displacement
Equitable geographic distribution of public resources

Placement

… including addressing spatial inequities between places, eg. investing in historically disinvested neighborhoods, while ensuring that existing community is served by new investment.

Adapted from BARHII, barhii.org

Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative
CA Environmental Justice Alliance
Fair Housing Advocates of Northern CA

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the 5 Ps: Toward a Comprehensive Approach

Power

Strengthening the POWER of residents to ensure responsive and equitable housing decisions. Meaningful participation of residents and community leaders in planning & policymaking processes that impact their housing stability.

Reimagined public participation processes �(eg. City Council meetings)
Community control of land: land trusts, co-ops & collective ownership models
Organizing & education (on housing & beyond), �know your rights trainings
Shifting economic control to communities, democratic access to shared resources

Adapted from BARHII, barhii.org

The Village & East Oakland Collective
Moms 4 Housing
PICO California
South of Market Community Action Center
Sogorea Te’ Land Trust
Working Partnerships/ SV Rising

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Additional Resources

Urban Habitat & East Bay Community Law Center, “Rooted in Home: Community-Based Alternatives to the Bay Area Housing Crisis”
Causa Justa : Just Cause “Development without Displacement: Resisting Gentrification in the Bay Area”
Othering & Belonging Institute, “Opening the Door for Rent Control: Toward a Comprehensive Approach to Protecting California’s Renters” & “Housing Policy & Belonging in Richmond”
Housing & Dignity Project, “Housing Oakland’s Unhoused”
Home for All San Mateo Housing Toolkit
Grounded Solutions Network Resource Library

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breakout discussion: 15 minutes

Step 1: Select a strategy:

Protection
Preservation
Production
Placement
Power�

Step 2: Indicate your selection by renaming yourself on zoom & adding the corresponding # before your name (eg. “ 1 - Nicole Montojo”)

Step 3: In your group, brainstorm:

What are examples you can come up with to address each strategy?

What policy demand(s) could work as an actionable starting point?
Who would be the key stakeholders/the actors involved in making this happen?
What resources or support would you need from key stakeholders?

Bonus Qs:

What policy demand(s) or solutions are manifestations of your north star?