CJJC newspaper is out! Some of the stories in our newspaper include how the wave of foreclosures and evictions has created a level of new pressure on the banksters such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America; a story about a tenant who won a battle with his landlord after a long phase of harrassment; a look at the new compromise tax measure; an interview with our new steering committee member and long-time CJJC leader Alma Blackwell; .. and we even have some arts and culture stories this time! We'll be posting the stories in the next few week here on our website in case you want to read those stories online. Meantime, here's a preview of one of our stories.

 Take Back Our Right To Housing

 “This is not a victory just for me but for all tenants. Everyone needs to know that we do have rights and we need to stand up for them. I promise that if you stand up for yourself, that CJJC and I will support you.” — Robert Frison


Tenant Stands Up To Landlord’s Harassment And Wins
By Patricia Zamora

Robert Frison first signed up to be a member of Causa Justa :: Just Cause after coming to the Oakland tenant rights clinic for help with his housing problem in late 2010.

He had been experiencing harassment issues from the managers in his building operated by Lake Park Apartments. The managers left harassing notes on his car and front door, entered his apartment illegally, sent illegal rent increase notices, used their family member to intimidate Frison, pit his neighbors against him, returned his mail and packages, and even started a physical altercation with him.

Frison, who has been living in his rent-controlled apartment since 1997, said he believes that these tactics were being used against him as a means to push him out of his home of almost 15 years so that management could raise the rent of his apartment when new tenants moved in.

Frison was not prepared to allow this harassment push him out and he decided to fight back. He started by coming to Causa Justa :: Just Cause and learning about his rights. He wrote letters to the landlord demanding the harassment stop. He got other CJJC members to support him in passing our fliers in his neighborhood to let his neighbors know what he was going through. He shared the different ways in which his building managers were mistreating him and got the support of his neighbors.

Things got worse before they got better. Because of Frison’s strong will and effective organizing, one of his manager’s Bill Alvarez, actually tried to sue him in small claims court for harassing him and demanded $7,500 in damages from Frison! With preparation and truth on his side, Frison convinced the judge to dismiss Alvarez’s far-fetched claims outright. Since this finding in court the situation has improved significantly and Frison is enjoying more peace in his housing situation.

“This is not a victory just for me but for all tenants. Everyone needs to know that we do have rights and we need to stand up for them. I promise that if you stand up for yourself, that CJJC and I will support you,” said Frison.

Harassment cases can be very stressful and difficult but they can be won. Unfortunately, Frison’s case is not unique as many Oakland residents deal with similar conditions on a daily basis. If you or someone you know is dealing with a tenant issue join Causa Justa :: Just Cause today. Get support, give support and fight back. You are not alone.

“Donde la mujer avanza, no hay hombre que retroceda.”             --Zapatista saying

“When women advance, there’s no man who moves backwards.”

2012 has brought with it a surge of leadership in our organization, reflecting our community, and advancing our work for social justice.

(Image from Women of Color Leadership Network)

Vanessa Moses, veteran lead organizer, has stepped up to work alongside her long-time mentor, Dawn Phillips, as Co-Director of Programs.  Her experience in member leadership development, expertise in civic engagement, and a systemic and compassionate approach are a solid addition to our director team.  She has been awarded the honor of a fellowship from the Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity project, providing her and the organization expert support through this exciting growth transition.

Patricia Zamora, who led the creation of our successful Oakland Tenant’s Rights’ Clinic, has stepped up to become our new Oakland Lead Organizer. In this role, she will do even more linking of our rights-based services and community organizing campaigns. She has also been named commissioner on the City of Oakland’s Building Services Improvement Advisory Task Force, bringing her expert tenant advocacy to bear in conversations about housing code compliance, an issue close to the heart of any tenant who needs repairs.

And that’s not all! Our very own Cinthya Muñoz-Ramos and Lucía Castañeda-Kimble have been awarded powerful fellowships at Women’s Policy Institute, learning the ins and outs of policy change work, and bringing their community-based perspective and leadership to that needed work in our state legislature.

Not to be left out, our ED, María Poblet, has been awarded a highly competitive 2-year Leader Spring Executive Fellowship!

We congratulate all these powerful organizational leaders for their accomplishments, and look forward to even more groundbreaking contributions from them in our community and our movement.