Grantee Impacts:
Protecting Renters with Just Cause Evictions
Leaders and members of Faith in Action Bay Area secured rent stabilization for tenants in Pacifica, a municipality located South of San Francisco in California’s Bay Area. The successful ballot box Measure C campaign led by Faith in Action brings additional security through new just cause eviction protections to approximately 2,300 rental units, representing nearly 20% of the area’s housing stock. The Measure also limits the extent to which rent can be raised from one year to the next. The new policy makes a real difference to the third of Pacifica’s 40,000 residents that rent.
Gloria, a volunteer with Faith in Action, became engaged in the fight two years ago, when 73 people were evicted from a Pacifica mobile home park. She noted "When we first started, we were five people. Look at us now!" I'm proud of what we did. We have a movement on our hands!"
Winning the Fight for $15
The fight for $15 is being waged by low-wage workers across the country. In 2017, Minneapolis became the first major city in the Midwest to successfully adopt the $15 minimum wage, which provides momentum to make this trend national and not solely a coastal phenomenon. Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha (CTUL) was at the center of this battle, organizing members and supporters to win the minimum wage increase on behalf of the City’s 71,000 low-wage workers whose daily lives will be meaningfully improved.
Building Community Power in the Fight for Clean Water
In Uniontown, Alabama, there is a rejuvenated sense of hope in the majority Black town of about 2,200, thanks in part to Black Belt Citizens Fighting for Health and Justice (BBC).
Almost all residents in this community confront the lack of clean water and proper sewage as a daily survival issue.
Previously residents felt that they had little say, but BBC has been successfully building their skills, amplifying their voices and driving long-term community-driven solutions for Uniontown residents. This small but mighty organization is one to watch. Notably, BBC was one of the organizations conducting non-partisan voter engagement, including a ride to the polls for anyone who called during the highly-watched December 2017 special elections, when black residents ultimately accounted for 28% of the vote, while making up just 26% of the population.Endeavors like these help the organization and its members build the clout needed to be heard in the halls of power when it comes time to draft policy or evaluate rules and regulations. |