Donors include Cliff Orloff, CEO of Orloff Property Management, and his wife; Ann Plant, a realtor with Red Oak Realty, and her husband; and Jonathan Weldon, a realtor with Cedar Properties. We put together a guide to the essentials of how to register and vote, whats on the ballot, voters rights and more. Beyond direct events, I believe an accessible public dashboard should be created to track major cases of negligence in addressing needed repairs and habitability issues. Its an at-large race, meaning Berkeley residents can vote for five rent board members regardless of where they live in the city. The deadline to register to vote online or by mail in Alameda County is Oct. 24, and the election is Tuesday, Nov. 8. With increasingly unaffordable rents, the rent board needs to fulfill its duties in a manner that honors the Rent Stabilization Ordinance. Yelimeli grew up in Fremont and The public deserves to know. Incumbent Soli Alpert, the boards vice chair and an aide to Councilmember Rigel Robinson, is running along with Stefan Elgstrand, aide to Mayor Jesse Arregun; Carole Marasovic, a policy commissioner and attorney; Vanessa Danielle Marrero, the executive director of a parent advocacy group; Ida Martinac, an attorney; Nathan Mizell, a paralegal and Berkeley Police Accountability Board member; Negeene Mosaed, a physical therapist; and Wendy Saenz Hood, a retired media coordinator. Alpert: Im proud that the board conducts events throughout our community to meet tenants and small landlords where they are with critical information. Incumbent Soli Alpert is running along with Stefan Elgstrand, Carole Marasovic, Vanessa Danielle Marrero, Ida Martinac, Nathan Mizell, Wendy Saenz Hood and Negeene Mosaed. Other donors include councilmember Rigel Robinson; rent board commissioners John Selawsky and James Chang; school board directors Ty Alper and Ana Vasudeo; former councilmember Max Anderson; Alfred Twu, who is running for a seat on the AC Transit board; Mike Chang, a candidate for school board; and Vanessa Marrero, who is running with Alpert as part of the tenants union slate. We need experienced, progressive leadership on the rent board to protect existing renters and support needed new housing. If you value what you get from Berkeleyside, please join us with atax-deductible donationso we can continue doing the local reporting that matters to you. Landlords need to be aware that they can not harass tenants. The donor was Wendy Bloom, not Wendy Saenz Hood. In a forum with the League of Women Voters in early October, Saenz Hood pushed back against rent board attempts to extend good cause eviction protections to golden duplexes and accessory dwelling units (or in-law units), saying it discourages property owners from offering up their existing properties for the rental market. Elgstrand: Rental law is complex and constantly changing, which makes it difficult for tenants and property owners to understand their rights and obligations. Persons with disabilities need to know of their rights to accommodations and their rights under the elevator ordinance. This is acutely true in Berkeley where a large percentage of the population is students who are first time renters. Donate to Berkeleysideand support independent local journalism. Our interactive map includes ballots issued and return rates by Berkeley City Council district. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Election 2022 Rent Stabilization Board race, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. If you value what you get from Berkeleyside, please join us with atax-deductible donationso we can continue doing the local reporting that matters to you. Over the past decade, Ive helped thousands of Berkeleyans regain their functional mobility and move forward with their lives. Its the first year that candidates for rent board are eligible for the citys public financing system, which aims to limit the influence of money in Berkeley politics and give candidates with fewer resources a shot at winning. Currently studying French on Duolingo at my leisure. Mosaed: Berkeleys rental system is not separate from the forces that dictate housing at a state and federal level. Update, July 12: The City Council decided to continue the majority of discussion over the potential ballot measure to the next meeting on July 26, but unanimously voted to keep eviction exemptions for ADUs, removing that possibility from the rent board proposal. Berkeley City Council Places End Dates on COVID-19 Eviction Moratorium Your donation goes beyond supporting our journalism. Wendy Saenz Hood: I decided to run for the rent board because I want to see balanced housing policy. Its a necessary protection to create stability in the community.. Voter's Edge California Voter Guide | Nonpartisan information on the Tuesday November 8, 2022 election. Donate to Berkeleysideand support independent local journalism. For some individuals, such as seniors, they need to be reached through workshop presentations and coordinating with agencies that work with and advocate for them. We also worked with the Council to place Measure MM on the ballot expanding our rental registry to partially regulated units, which has brought the board valuable data that will inform our public policy and made rent board services available to many more Berkeley tenants. Here are some other helpful election resources: See complete 2022 election coverage on Berkeleyside. It also incorrectly stated that Wendy Saenz Hood donated to Soli Alperts campaign. Economic challenges are squeezing tenants and small landlords. Elgstrand: No. WebUPDATED: Registration Fees for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Registration fees are due Monday, July 3, 2023! Address: 2125 Milvia Street Berkeley, CA 94704. He maxed out the citys matching funds at $8,000, like most of the other rent board candidates. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Nonprofit news. The city website has a. Watch a recording. Fortunately, in recent years things are improving, with 9,000 units to be built over the next decade, in addition to thousands of student beds being proposed by the university. The rent board needs to explore if mediation can be used more frequently so that both tenants and small landlords have an opportunity to express, and reconcile, their positions. This is especially concerning when that includes companies owned by the infamous Lakireddy family, who have a history of substandard care of their units and well known criminal activity. We need to protect tenants, preserve affordable housing and produce housing. We also dealt with a number of crises at the board in the last term, and I am thrilled to have been able to find an excellent new executive director with a track record of public service in housing. More by Supriya Yelimeli. Sign up for Berkeleyside's new arts & events newsletter. Berkeleyside relies on reader support to remain free for everyone in our community. As we prepare for the end of the moratorium, the board has already begun to plan and strategize for how to protect tenants. I currently serve on two large California-based nonprofit organization boards both focused on educational outcomes and support services. The rent board will need to continue implementing dynamic practices so that rental housing business owners and tenants know their rights and responsibility under the moratorium. The pro-tenant slate pools its resources, nearly $50,000 altogether, to purchase advertisements on behalf of all five of its candidates making it the most powerful force in the race. Mizell: I was once known for my height. Saenz Hood: When Im not bothering my neighbors by informing them of Berkeley housing policy, I write Haiku. Incumbent Soli Alpert, Nathan Mizell, Vanessa Danielle Marrero and Ida Martinac, and independent Stefan Elgstrand will make up part of the new board. Ballot counting for the local ballot measures, City Council, school board, and rent board was completed on Nov. 21 at 9:17 p.m. Election night parties were held around Berkeley as results rolled in. Sign up for Berkeleyside's new arts & events newsletter. I hope that comes because COVID has been thoroughly resolved and not because pending litigation in Oakland kills our protections and throws our community out in the cold. WebNegeene Mosaed for Rent Board, 2022 Biography Negeene is a homeowner and the owner of Berkeley Community Physical Therapy, a 30-year institution, which is dedicated to Her work has appeared in The Oaklandside, The New York Times, Huffington Post and Washington Post, Check back for updates to this breaking news story. These services must continue during and after the moratorium. I want to make sure other families can live in Berkeley for generations instead of being priced out/displaced. On Monday, July 18, the 2022 Berkeley Rent Board Convention Planning Committee announced that Berkeleyans have chosen Negeene Mosaed, Soli Alpert, Ida Martinac, Della Moran, and Vanessa Danielle Marrero* as the progressive, pro-tenant slate for Berkeleys Rent Board. Supriya Yelimeli is a housing and homelessness reporter for Berkeleyside and joined the staff in May 2020 after contributing reporting since 2018 as a freelance writer. All but one of his donations are from Berkeley residents. Rented units in these buildings are not under the authority of the rent board, so the tenants do not have good cause eviction rights. Opponents say its a blank check. Ida Martinac: I am running because I feel that the balance of power in Berkeley is increasingly hurting renters, i.e. Wendy Saenz Hood, the only candidate endorsed by the Berkeley Property Owners Association, has received donations from almost the entire board of directors of the organization, in addition to donations from real estate agents and property managers. Marasovic has $10,535 to spend on her campaign, $2,436 of which she has raised from 56 donors who contributed no more than $60. Gavin Newsom, Pamela Price, Alfred Twu and Proposition 30 on Nov. 8. Donate to Berkeleysideand support independent local journalism. You can use the same website to track your ballot once youve mailed it or dropped it off. Mayor Jesse Arregun decided to pull the item from the agenda at that meeting in 2020 because so many City Council members had recused themselves from the vote that they couldnt extend the meeting to discuss the item. The other two candidates running independently of the tenants slate, Wendy Saenz Hood and Carole Marasovic, both opted into public financing and have each raised more than $2,400 as of Oct. 22. I have been recognized for my service to social justice and received a multitude of awards, recommendations and recognitions. In 12 years, Ive met with, touched and healed more than 10,000 Berkeleyans. I promote the fundamental value of democracy in my professional and lived experience and expertise. I helped secure millions of dollars for affordable housing and rental relief for tenants and small businesses through the city budget, through anti-displacement programs and COVID-19 relief, in addition to supporting Measures U1 and O, which has helped fund hundreds of new units of affordable housing. The city attorney will bring back a revised version of the proposal with the amendments at the meeting on July 26. Drop it off:Heres amap of all the dropboxes in Alameda County. Unfortunately, the pandemic showed us this wasnt true for Berkeley. Rent board commissioners Soli Alpert, James Chang and John Selawsky donated to his campaign, as did Berkeley school board director Ana Vasudeo, former councilmember Max Anderson, school board candidate Mike Chang, and Barnali Ghosh, a Walk Bike Berkeley advocate and co-leader of the Berkeley South Asian Radical History Walking Tour. Free for all, funded by readers. I bring a pragmatic, analytical approach that is balanced and responsive to the most vulnerable tenants with an openness to the needs of small landlords. Caroles leadership as chairperson on three city commissions and her fair and balanced representation make her my choice for the Rent Stabilization Board. One leading candidate to represent Southeast Berkeley says he wants to carry on outgoing Councilmember Lori Drostes work. 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The reporters and editors at Berkeleyside are dedicated to covering our city and providing you with the information you need to be an informed citizen. Materials are available on the City Council website. Though she is now a renter, she ran on a property owners slate in 2020 and this year is the lone candidate endorsed by the Berkeley Property Owners Association. I have a very strong background in outreach and I plan to use my skills to bridge the divide between landlords and tenants by educating both about the resources that the rent board provides. My goal would be to increase the channels of outreach and find more creative ways to communicate the role the rent board plays in the Berkeley community. The rest has come from 23 donors contributing no more than $60 each. An accessory dwelling unit in a Berkeley backyard. Berkeley turned out big for Gov. Our long-time renters earn just enough to scrape by and need strong rental protections to prevent them from being displaced from Berkeley. Free for all, funded by readers. Everyone who donated to her campaign is a Berkeley resident. I focused my legal studies on renewable energy policy and will work to create climate programs at the Rent Board that will improve the quality of life of Berkeley tenants while building our communitys climate resiliency and reducing our emissions. He has $15,057 to spend so far based on donations from 48 donors donating an average of $145 and a $7,500 loan he made to his campaign. Affordable Housing Guide | Remembering Gus Newport | From Kharkiv to Berkeley | Get The Scene, our new arts newsletter. WebNOVEMBER 8, 2022 GENERAL ELECTION Berkeley's voter-approved Public Financing Program allows certified candidates for Mayor, City Council, School Board, Rent Throughout the moratorium the board has offered counseling and referrals to services for small landlords who need help navigating the new environment, including connecting them with the state rental assistance program to pay rent debt. Correction: The first sentence of this story has been changed to clarify that the proposal on the ballot would give the Rent Stabilization Board authority over rent control if the City Council chooses to implement it on SB330 properties, not institute the expanded rent control itself. Yelimeli grew up in Fremont and It also helps your family, friends and Berkeley neighbors have access to reliable, independent reporting. In a healthy ecosystem, the network is resilient enough to withstand change and stressors. This has also covered golden duplexes and owner-occupied properties with ADUs. Your donation goes beyond supporting our journalism. The other would move in a different direction. Rents have become increasingly astronomical, which substantially has decreased socioeconomic, racial and other diversity. When the moratorium is lifted, the RSB Ordinance must be followed, while council continues to fund legal services to represent low-income tenants. Marasovic: Outreach needs to be conducted in a manner most likely to reach the tenants and property owners impacted. Mosaed: Berkeley declared a state of emergency and passed the COVID-19 Emergency Response Ordinance in March 2020, banning evictions. Effective education requires repeated communications via a multitude of channels. Sign up for Berkeleyside's new arts & events newsletter. I wish to give a voice to the unrepresented small housing provider. Grassroots organizer and physical therapist Negeene Mosaed is running with the Right to Housing Slate for the Berkeley Rent Donate to Berkeleysideand support independent local journalism. Alpert: I am a huge nerd (maybe not surprising) and am really into TTRPGs (think Dungeons and Dragons). Stefan Elgstrand was the only candidate elected to the board who didnt run with the slate. I think its fairly obvious to tenants in Berkeley that the rental ecosystem is deeply unfair. Ally Markovich, who covers the school beat for Berkeleyside, is a former high school English teacher. Negeene Mosaed, who ran with the slate, didn't gain a position, and independent candidates Carole Marosovic and Wendy Saenz Hood were also unsuccessful. All but three of the people who contributed to her campaign are Berkeley residents. Owners of partially exempt properties have to pay a fee and provide rental unit information (like tenancy numbers) so that the rent board can maintain inventory. Now it will begin the process of auditing the ballots. That proposal and the current one make changes to the Rent Stabilization and Eviction for Good Cause Ordinance, which was approved in 1980. The registrars office hasnt been forthcoming about errors that impacted the Nov. 8 election. And more ballot questions answered. It also helps your family, friends and Berkeley neighbors have access to reliable, independent reporting. The vacancy tax is necessary in the city of Berkeley, we have too many vacant units that are creating scarcity and increasing rents. Can independent candidates break through? As chair of the citys Reimagining Public Safety Task Force, Ive contributed in leading efforts to change the paradigm of public safety in our city. Back in the sixth grade, I was in the 99.86 percentile for height. Email: RSBAlpert@cityofberkeley.info. Free for all, funded by readers. Martinac: Even with the eviction cliff approaching, there are still many unknowns in the mix. My favorite systems right now are Pathfinder 2e and Monster of the Week. His donors include Mayor Jesse Arregun; councilmembersSophie Hahn, Rigel Robinson, Terry Taplin and Kate Harrison; Marc Janowitz, a tenants rights lawyer at East Bay Community Law Center; Anne Omura, a lawyer at Eviction Defense Center; and Cherilyn Parsons, executive director of the Bay Area Book Festival. We are way behind where we need to be, which has been exacerbated by a lack of new student housing. The reporters and editors at Berkeleyside are dedicated to covering our city and providing you with the information you need to be an informed citizen. Vanessa Marrero: Housing is a human right! Elgstrand: The ongoing local eviction moratorium is tied to the local state of emergency relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is Marrero, not Morrero. It also helps your family, friends and Berkeley neighbors have access to reliable, independent reporting. Click the questions below to see candidates answers. You can do thison or before Nov. 8. More by Ally Markovich. As a one-time Berkeley housing provider, and now a current Berkeley tenant, my aim is to be an advocate for incentivizing housing opportunities. Martinac: If I did, I wouldnt be running for this position! WebEviction Defense Center Phone: 510-452-4541 To track your ballot status visit: https://www.sos.ca.gov/ elections/ballot-status/ wheres-my-ballot And be sure to vote for the pro-tenant Right to Housing Slate who will protect your rights on the Rent Board. The eight candidates vying for five Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board seats want to guide tenants and property owners as the city moves forward from emergency pandemic housing laws in an ongoing region-wide housing crisis. Elgstrand, the legislative aide to Mayor Jesse Arregun, is the only candidate who opted out of public financing, reasoning that it would be challenging to raise enough money for an at-large race with the $60 donation limit. Marasovic: There can be no healthy rental ecosystem when we have inequities in it. Saenz Hood had $10,535 to spend on her campaign; Marasovic had $10,535. He has $15,057 to spend so far based on Mendonca is vying for a city council seat in District 8, opened up by Councilmember Lori Drostes departure. As an immigrant and single mother who has had to move 11 times since coming to the Bay Area in 2003, I have lived the working-class struggle of building community while repeatedly being priced out of my home. OCTOBER 19, 2022. I will make sure the rent board has consistent communication with tenant and landlord organizations to help disseminate critical information, particularly through social media presence. Beyond what can be done at the board-level, I would work collaboratively with fellow commissioners to advocate for legislation that will address this serious issue. In these races there are typically multiple candidates elected at each election. However, they can continue to take steps to provide as much education and as many resources as possible for both tenants and owners who have questions about the moratorium. Your donation goes beyond supporting our journalism. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Nonprofit news. Alpert added that he's worked with Elgstrand before, and he's looking forward to finding consensus on the board. Leah Simon-Weisberg, rent board chair who is advocating for the proposal, said these tenants would be put at serious risk of arbitrary evictions when the moratorium runs out if they do not receive the whole package of rent board protections that comes with rent control. Marrero: Our communities need to be informed on what the Rent Board services are and why they are important and related to their daily lives. and rent board was completed on Nov. 21 at 9:17 p.m. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), an instant-runoff process called ranked-choice voting, ranked-choice voting report for District 1, ranked-choice voting report for District 8, Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board (5 seats), Election 2022 Rent Stabilization Board race, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic.