There has not been a more stark example in recent history of militarized racism in housing than in the saga of Moms 4 Housing.
On January 14, 2020, in a pre-dawn raid of a residential home in Oakland, California, the Alameda County Sheriff's spent tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to evict women and children from a vacant, speculator-acquired property. Tanks, military-styled officers, drones, robots, a battering ram and assault rifles were used to execute an eviction order on Black women and their children.
In the months since this brutal act of violence, the housing affordability crisis has only escalated under an unprecedented global pandemic. Thousands of Alameda County families are falling into significant debt and facing the threat of the same militarized eviction tactics that were used on the Moms at the house on Magnolia Street.
Moms 4 Housing and a growing community coalition are calling on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to invest in homes, not harm. The last thing our community needs right now is an occupying army. Our community needs housing, healing, and rent forgiveness. After voting to give this notoriously racist Sheriff Department a budget increase of over $100 million a year, the ACBOS has cancelled their meeting set for September 1st. We are in a crisis and this failure of leadership is unacceptable.
On September 1st, Moms 4 Housing and dozens of community allies will replace the Board of Supervisors with a Board of SuperMOMS - Black and Brown mothers who are most impacted by the county housing crisis.
Please join Moms 4 Housing, Community Ready Corps, the Anti Police-Terror Project, CURYJ, Ella Baker Center, and the People’s Strike at 1225 Oak Street for a socially-distanced rally and action on Tuesday, September 1st at 1 pm. Check the Facebook event page for the most up-to-date information >
THE HOMES NOT HARM AGENDA
Defund the Sheriff by 30-50% and reinvest that money in deeply affordable and supportive housing: In these unprecedented times, we need to invest in healing & homes for all, instead of spending half a billion dollars annually to violently remove families from their homes so corporate real estate speculators can continue to expand their portfolios and profits. The BOS vote to increase Ahern’s budget by $106 million/year must also be rescinded.
A Moratorium on ALL evictions during the crisis: Not a single eviction should take place during a deadly pandemic. It is cruel, dangerous and must be prevented.
Cancellation of all Rent and Mortgage Debt: Keeping people housed - preventing further homelessness - must be a top priority. Thousands of Alameda County residents already lived paycheck to paycheck before the crisis. Struggling renters and homeowners need payment forgiveness and smaller landlords need assistance.
Permanent ban on law enforcement carrying out evictions: Law enforcement should have no place in housing. All roles that various police play in housing – from evictions to public housing police forces – must be banned permanently.