The Oakland City Council has passed a law to make it illegal for housing providers to obtain a criminal background check on prospective tenants. Berkeley, Emeryville and Alameda may just follow suit. The measure was passed with no City Council person voting against it.
What is it?
They called it the Fair Chance Housing Ordinance – designed to bar landlords from conducting criminal background checks on potential tenants, “allowing people released from prison an easier transition back into society”.
What hypocrites! It should be called the “UNFAIR Chance Housing Ordinance” – unfair to all the other tenants who are currently renting. They did not commit a crime, so why do the Oakland politicians want to punish existing tenants? Are they attempting to make Oakland a “City of Criminals”? Where are the “tenants’ rights” people? They should be screaming their heads off about the violation of their right to safe and peaceful housing! Name one City Council member who wants a rapist living next door to them.
Applications to Rent
Applications to rent that have a checkbox asking if you have ever been convicted of a felony will not be allowed to appear on rental applications in Oakland once it becomes effective, which is expected this summer.
Exemptions
Single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes and in-law units will be exempt if the owner is living on the property. Likewise, tenants seeking to add or replace a roommate will be exempt. Also exempted are Section 8 units and government-subsidized housing. They will still be able to use criminal background checks to comply with federal law which requires them to reject potential tenants who are on the sex offender registry or have been convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine.
Penalties
The City of Oakland can fine landlords up to $1,000 for each violation.
These politicians are the ones who should be fined. This crazy and unfair law just qualified them to go get a real job and resign as a “lawmaker”! Maybe they could start a property management company and have total control of all their housing owners. Don’t think they would stay in business very long. Socialists always fail after using up all the existing assets that others, like housing providers, have worked, slaved and saved to build!