Housing Terms
What does TOPA stand for?
Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act
What does the Opportunity to Purchase Act policy propose to do?
It proposed to make landlords offer the home they rent to the tenants living in the home first before putting it on the market.
Name at least 2 things that a landlord is legally required to provide to a tenant’s home.
Running water, heat, electricity, health and safety of the building, rent increase notices, etc.
What does RTO Stand for?
Regional Tenant Organizing Network.
What is the local organization that offers free legal support?
CLS EPA, Community Legal Services EPA
What does COPA stand for?
Community Opportunity to Purchase Act
Who is the current staff member in the City of EPA who worked on the OPA policy?
Ben
What is the law that prevents landlords from enormous rent increases on apartment buildings?
Rent Control/Rent Stabilization
What are 2 different ways that we work to share information with tenants?
Door knocking, social media, pamphlets, our Facebook page
Name at least 1 local organization that offers rental financial assistance (money).
CLS, Samaritan House, St Vincent DePaul
What is a Rent Strike?
When tenants organize together to withhold their rent from their landlord (not pay their rent).
True or False: the OPA policy would NOT have applied to East Palo Alto homeowners.
True
Name 3 habitability issues that we have heard EPA tenants describe about their housing.
Mold, lack of hot/cold water, rats, roaches, bad plumbing, no safety due to broken gates.
Who is the largest corporate landlord on EPA?
Woodland Properties
Who is the organization that is supposed to still be helping tenants fill out rent relief applications?
Nuestra Casa
What is the Just Cause Ordinance?
The Just Cause Ordinance is the law that says that a landlord can’t evict a tenant for just any reason. It has to be for a just/fair cause.
Name the 2 council members who voted YES on OPA in December. First and last name necessary to be fully correct!
Ruben Abrica and Carlos Romero
Who is the City governing body that regulates rent increases and settles landlord-tenant disputes?
The Rent Stabilization Board
What is the RTO Network’s Campaign Priority?
Target Corporate Landlords
What is the name of the Rent Stabilization Program director?
Natasha
True or false: it is illegal for a landlord to threaten a tenant with calling immigration if they suspect the tenant of being undocumented.
True
What is the Right of First Refusal?
If a tenant makes an offer on the house and another person makes a higher offer to the landlord, the original tenant has the right to match that offer.
Name 3 members from the Rent Stabilization Board.
Laura, Vanessa, Cristal, Julian, Katie, Magnus, Vakil
Name at least 3 renter leaders from our community
Laura Rubio, Francisca Guzman, Elizabeth Jackson, Javanni Brown, Marisela Ramos
What is the name of the homeless shelter in EPA and what minimum age do you have to be to take shelter there?
Project WeHope