CarsonWatch helps deliver 100K signatures to protest rent hikes on the poorest Americans

In a story covered by the Washington Post , a petition with more than 100,000 signatures was delivered to the office of Congressman Jeb Hensarling. The petition demands that Congress reject the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s plan to raise rents on the poorest Americans. The article mentions CarsonWatch as a key sponsor of the petition.

California is leading the national push to recognize housing as a civil right issue

We're co-sponsoring AB 686 to protect fair housing from the Trump Administration. The bill took a big step forward when it passed out of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee. AB 686 would require government agencies to combat the enduring legacy of segregation and create more equal housing opportunities for all Californians.

Publicly-owned land must serve the public good

In Oakland, we've helped introduce the "People's Proposal for Public Land" to ensure that publicly-owned land is used to provide low-income Oaklanders with affordable homes, good-paying jobs, and healthy communities. The plan will empower Black and Latinx families that have been targets of housing discrimination for decades. At a hearing on Wednesday, Oaklanders turned out en masse to show support. The Proposal is now one of three approaches that are being carefully considered by the Oakland City Council Community and Economic Development Committee.

"Students are our future leaders"

Our future leaders are growing up in Oakland and one of them is Diamond Greer-Green. A foster youth in the Oakland Unified School District, her life changed when she found her voice mattered. We've worked closely with young people like Diamond to transform the way school districts engage with students, and we're excited to share her story with you in this video .

Meet our talented fellows, clerks and interns!

They've arrived and here's your chance to learn a bit more about them . Victoria Wenger, Zachariah Oquenda, and Eleana Binder will be working with our Metropolitan Equity Team. Ariona Jean-Johnson, Manuela Boucher-De La Cadena, and Belén Moreno will be working with our Education Team. Russell Ives and Ethan Yan will support the Development staff and Gabrielle Thomas will be supporting our Diversity Committee. Welcome!

Public Advocates in the News

CarsonWatch Project Director Liz Ryan Murray was quoted in the Washington Post for an article on HUD's efforts to deregulate the mobile home industry ….Policy Advocate Michelle Pariset penned a searing op-ed in the Sacramento Bee on the need for rent control. Public Advocates was mentioned in EdSource for our administrative complaint against the West Contra Costa Unified School District.....Public Advocates was also mentioned in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin in an article on spending irregularities in the Pomona Unified School District.....Managing Attorney Richard Marcantonio was interviewed by ABC 7 for a story on the housing crisis.....Senior Staff Attorney David Zisser was quoted in the East Bay Express over the sale of public land to a charter school in Oakland.....Public Advocates was mentioned in a StreetsBlogCal article on responses to a questionnaire by gubernatorial candidates.....Public Advocates was mentioned in articles in the Long Beach Post , the Beachcomber and the Long Beach Press-Telegram covering our settlement with the Long Beach Unified School District.....Public Advocates was mentioned in an Education News article on the growth of restorative justice programs in California schools.....Public Advocates was mentioned in the East Bay Express and the St. Augustine Record in articles detailing the rise of Wall Street as America’s landlord.....Public Advocates was also mentioned in an EdSource article on a new report alleging that the LAUSD was misspending funds intended for high need students.....Liz Guillen was mentioned in an EdSource article about the inclusion of $13.1 million in the state budget to support community engagement