APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY
________________________
CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. ______________ C.M.S.
INTRODUCED BY COUNCILMEMBER CARROLL FIFE
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE BILL 555 (WAHAB), WHICH WOULD SET FIVE- AND TEN-YEAR GOALS FOR
THE CREATION OF 1.2 MILLION UNITS OF SOCIAL HOUSING TO
MEET THE NEEDS OF LOWER- AND MIDDLE-INCOME CALIFORNIA
RESIDENTS
WHEREAS, the State of California and the City of Oakland continue to experience an unprecedented housing crisis; and
WHEREAS, more than one -quarter of California renters are severely rent burdened, spending over one-half of their income on rent alone; and
WHEREAS, a growing number of people are facing difficulties meeting their housing needs due to economic insecurity, unemployment, and displacement; and WHEREAS, 60% of Oakland residents are renters and vast majority are rent burdened because the cost of living has gone up exponentially, while wages have stagnated, forcing people to dedicate a large portion (over 30%) of their income towards housing costs; and WHEREAS, a 2020 study of Housing Vulnerability in Oakland, conducted by the University of Pennsylvania’s Housing Initiative (HIP), found that 51% of renter households make less than 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI) and most renters of color are rent burdened, making an increasing number of Oaklanders vulnerable to displacement; and WHEREAS, expanding access to affordable housing and advancing measures that provide an alternative to the speculative housing market is critical to ensuring that a growing number of individuals in our City and our state are housed and can remain housed; and WHEREAS, to address the housing crisis and achieve the state’s stable affordable housing goals, State Senate Bill 555 (Wahab) would set a 10 -year goal of creating 1.2 million units of social housing through a mix of acquisition and new production and a five -year goal of cr eating 2 600,000 units of social housing through a mix of acquisition and new production, of which no less than 200,000 units are affordable to extremely low and very low-income households; and
WHEREAS, the bill defines “social housing” as: a) housing unit s owned by a public agency, a limited -equity housing cooperative, a local authority, or a mission -driven nonprofit entity; b) permanently deed -restricted units affordable to Extremely Low Income, Very Low Income, Low Income, and Moderate -Income households; c) full protection for residents against termination without just cause or for any discriminatory, retaliatory, or other arbitrary reason, and due process prior to being subject to eviction procedures; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That the Oakland City Council hereby endorses California State Senate Bill 555 (Wahab), which would set five - and ten-year goals for the creation of 1.2 million units of social housing to meet the needs of lower- and middle-income California residents; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Council directs the City Administrator to transmit this Resolution to Senator Wahab, Oakland’s representatives in the State Legislature, and Governor Gavin Newsom to express our strong support for its enactment into law.
IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA,
PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES - FIFE, GALLO, JENKINS, KALB, KAPLAN, RAMACHANDRAN, REID, AND
PRESIDENT FORTUNATO BAS
NOES –
ABSENT –
ABSTENTION –
ATTEST:
ASHA REED
City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the
City of Oakland, California