This October, We're Bringing Social Housing to the Capitol

Social housing is the answer to California's decades-long homelessness and affordability crisis. As practiced in cities across the world, social housing is affordable to households with a mix of income levels, high-quality, socially-owned, resident-managed, and permanently off the speculative market. And this fall, Public Advocates and our community partners are kickstarting the campaign for social housing in the Legislature. We have mobilized supporters, and will be appearing at the Assembly Select Committee on Social Housing in Sacramento later this month!
The Eviction Moratorium has Expired. But the Fight for Renters Isn't Over.

The eviction moratorium has expired, but Governor Newsom still has an opportunity to sign common sense legislation that protects tenants in eviction court. AB 1487, which is awaiting the Governor's signature, would create a fund for tenants to access legal representation in eviction court. Right now, only three percent of renters have an attorney during eviction proceedings. It’s no secret that many illegal evictions happened throughout the pandemic—which could have been prevented if tenants had access to an attorney. Learn more in this blog post. We also just published this fact sheet so tenants know their rights now that the moratorium has ended. For example, renters can STILL apply for 100% rental assistance for unpaid rent.
There is Record Funding for CA Schools ($13.6B): How Is Your District Planning to Spend It?
 
This fall, we have a unique opportunity to reimagine our schools as places of deep learning, healing and joy for our young people. School districts are receiving historic one-time COVID relief funds that can be used towards building the racially just, relationship-centered community schools students deserve. The biggest pot of those funds, the ESSER III funds, totals $13.6 billion statewide. Learn how your school will spend the money in this blog post in English and Spanish.
Newsom Signs PA-Sponsored Fair Housing Bill

The Governor has signed AB 1304—one of our top legislative priorities this year. This bill strengthens California’s fair housing law that requires all state and local agencies to affirmatively further fair housing (AFFH) in all housing and community development decisions. AB 1304 clarifies that the AFFH duty is mandatory and enforceable in the courts. Additionally, it strengthens the AFFH analysis that cities and counties have to undertake when updating their housing plans by, among other things, requiring the analysis to consider the historical context of factors affecting fair housing within the jurisdiction, such as historical redlining and housing discrimination.
Improving Equity in LA Schools
 
As a result of our 2020 Department of Education win against LAUSD, we pushed the largest district in California to take a more equitable approach to budgeting by not counting across-the-board support staff expenditures towards its equity requirements. This is an important shift in LAUSD’s approach because it recognizes that equitable investments must be in addition to the base programming that is provided to all students.
 
We also partnered with Community Coalition to advocate that the Black Student Achievement Program (BSAP) be included in the LCAP as a separate $90M action, which is a win because it means sustained funding and accountability over the next 3 years! 
Public Advocates is Growing!

We're hiring for a Housing Justice Senior Staff Attorney and Staff Attorney, Director of Talent, Communications Associate, and a Digital Communications Manager. We hope that you will share these opportunities with your networks. Take a look!
Public Advocates in the News

Legislative Counsel Andrés Ramos is interviewed about California’s rental assistance program in The Guardian and in the Mercury News…..Staff Attorney Shajuti Hossain is featured in a Bay City News story about cities’ failure to produce affordable housing…..Managing Attorney John Affeldt is interviewed about distance learning options for students this fall in CalMatters…..John is interviewed in the SF Chronicle in a story about Alison Collins’ $87 million lawsuit against SF Unified…..Senior Staff Attorney Jetaun Stevens is interviewed in EdSource about our legal action against community colleges…..Of Counsel Liz Guillen is quoted in a CalMatters story on education issues related to the gubernatorial recall…..Managing Attorney Richard Marcantonio is quoted in the San Jose Spotlight in a story about transit workers’ demands for pandemic hazard pay…..Managing Attorney Sam Tepperman-Gelfant is quoted in Capital & Main in a story about Orange County’s efforts to build affordable housing.
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