So excited to share that AB 686 (Santiago), the California Fair Housing bill, has passed through the Assembly and is now on Governor Jerry Brown's desk awaiting his signature!

With the stroke of a pen, Governor Brown can ensure that California holds the line against President Trump's attacks on fair housing. If AB 686 (co-sponsored by Public Advocates) is made into law, we will see government bodies across the state take an active role in combating the enduring legacy of racism and segregation in housing. September 30th is the last day for the Governor to sign or veto AB 686.
Report Uncovers Systemic Failure by California Charter Schools

Public Advocates has published a report that uncovers a massive failure on the part of California charter schools to be transparent about how they spend millions of taxpayer dollars to benefit low-income students, English language learners and foster youth. The report reveals disturbing trends about the availability of public documents and the ability of parents to exercise their legal rights to participate in charter school spending decisions.
Join our monthly giving program and become a Champion for Justice!

We’ve launched the  Public Advocates Champion program  to ensure that efforts by politicians to strip away the rights of low-income people and communities of color will now be met with a collective effort. This monthly giving program is designed so that people like you who have a passion for justice can fuel the fight for affordable housing in every community, protections for renters from unfair evictions, good schools for every student regardless of their race or where they were born, and reliable and affordable public transit in every neighborhood.  
Photo credit: Community Coalition of South Los Angeles
West Contra Costa Unified, Parents and Students Settle Complaint Over Data Release Required Under State Law

In April, Public Advocates filed an administrative complaint on behalf of parents and students against the West Contra Costa Unified School District alleging that the district was withholding legally required information on spending and student performance from the community. We're pleased to announce that a settlement of the complaint has been reached . This was the first-ever complaint by families to enforce their right to obtain such data, which are vital for meaningful engagement in the continuous improvement process contemplated by California’s new system of local control and accountability.
Sacramento needs a comprehensive solution to our worsening housing crisis

Check out this Op-Ed by Public Advocates' Michelle Pariset , as she pushes back hard on plans by the Sacramento Regional Business Association to give market-rate developers and landlords a free ride on the backs of taxpayers. Michelle is part of the Housing 4 Sacramento coalition that has gathered over 40,000 signatures to place the Sacramento Renter Protection and Community Stabilization Charter Amendment on the November 2020 ballot, which they will submit on August 31st. The amendment would limit rent increases, implement “just cause” eviction protections for tenants, and require financial relocation assistance for renters forced to move.
Tenant protection , affordable housing preservation and new housing production

These are "the 3 P's" that guide CASA — an influential group of 51 regional decision makers charged with solving the Bay Area housing crisis. Convened by the Metropolitan Transit Agency and the Association of Bay Area Governments, the coalition is focused on protecting 450,000 low-income Bay Area renters from displacement, preserving 25,500 affordable housing units, and meeting the region’s need for 13,000 new affordable homes per year to close the housing gap. Public Advocates and the 6 Wins Network have played a key role in ensuring that CASA had a community engagement process and equity focus. The CASA "compact" is expected to be finalized by the end of 2018. 
Public Advocates in the News

Our charter school report was covered in EdSource , the East Bay Times and Education Dive .....Deputy Managing Attorney Angelica Jongco was quoted in an Oakland Magazine article covering financial difficulties faced by the Oakland Unified School District.....Policy Advocate Michelle Pariset was quoted in a Sacramento News and Review article on the homelessness crisis in Sacramento.....Our settlement with the West Contra Costa Unified School District was covered in EdSource .....Policy Advocate Michelle Pariset, in an op-ed in the Sacramento Bee and in a Capitol Radio interview, urged Sacramento’s elected officials to move swiftly to implement comprehensive solutions to the crisis facing renters.
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