The Bay Area housing crisis made national headlines in recent months after a group of homeless mothers, all members of Moms 4 Housing, were physically forced from a vacant West Oakland home they had been occupying. Ever since then, there have been increased conversations over the need to give tenants more protection.
Oakland City Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas is championing a number of ordinances to do that, including co-sponsoring the Fair Chance Housing ordinance, which the Oakland City Council recently passed. It prohibits landlords from running criminal background checks on prospective tenants. The ordinance is the first of its kind in any city in California. Fortunato Bas hopes the new law will help alleviate the homelessness crisis, given roughly three-fourths of people in encampments in Oakland are predicted to be formerly incarcerated.
“I’m passionate about making sure that when folks are returning home from the criminal justice system, they have a real opportunity to re-integrate into the community,” said Fortunato Bas. “It’s very important that they have access to the most basic human need: a roof over your head.”
Fortunato Bas is also working on an ordinance in conjunction with Moms 4 Housing that would provide tenants the opportunity to purchase the home they are renting first when it goes on the market before anyone else: “This isn’t about Oakland ‘taking people’s property,’ it’s about creating more community ownership in the midst of the housing crisis.”
We’ll be sure to keep an eye and share developments in future columns. For now, let’s take a look at the depths of Craigslist, as we do.
A half-studio in an SRO building
For those who can afford to live in a studio, the perks of having your own place may outweigh the lack of square footage. But because the housing crisis is as it is, sharing a studio is not uncommon. This one in San Francisco is walking distance to the Montgomery BART station and offers a full-size loft bed. You’ll share the studio with one other person; the building is also an SRO type, and you will have to share the bathroom and kitchen with the entire floor where the room is. The lack of space and privacy comes at $750 a month.
A “commuter room” — half a room, really
We’ve talked about commuter rooms before; the idea is that you only pay to stay Monday through Friday. Usually, you don’t have access to any amenities, including a kitchen. This is the case with this “tiny” room near Divisadero in San Francisco that is a “decent place for a decent person.” For $700 a month, the listing doesn’t give many details other than it is a “small, clean, cozy room.” The poster wants a male occupant who doesn’t cook. The one photo in the ad only shows what looks like a sofa bed and a night table, with an interesting tapestry of what appears to be a deer hung above it. Storage space or bathroom options are unknown.
A cluttered Berkeley studio for nearly $1,500
Nearly $1,500 a month in most of the country can get you a whole lot. In the Bay, it will get you a tiny chaotic studio that gives us anxiety. Located in South Berkeley, photos show a cluttered space and so much going on in every corner. The room has an odd, small cut-out closet and what looks like a shower enclosure. It seems so small that the kitchen, desk area, and bed all look on top of each other. It doesn’t come cheap at $1,425 a month. At least there’s laundry, though it’s shared and located right next to the unit, so it may cause noise.
A converted living room
If you’re a frequent reader, you know we see our fair share of beds plopped down in living rooms and then rented for $1,000. This ad lists half of a living room, sectioned off by a room divider, for about a grand. The ad advertises “plenty of space to put your belongings and a closet for your own use.” By the look of the photos, though, you might only be able to fit a twin-size bed and a nightstand.
A “free” room—with certain conditions
This post from a one-bedroom apartment in San Jose offers a “free room” (the living room) for someone “who can help with cleaning and a little cooking.” Can the renter add some dividers for added privacy? How many hours of cleaning duties and cooking does the roommate require? The ad is vague, starting with no actual photos of the space other than a shot of a pool and a screenshot from a panoramic view of the living area. The definition of sketchy.
A warm van or trailer in San Jose
Faithful readers, our friend (i.e., foe) Rick is back. For those who are not familiar with Rick, he has been posting broken-down vehicles and trailers for rent since last year. It was back in May when we came across his post thanks to a reader’s tweet. This time he has a red minivan up for grabs at $400 a month. He also has a trailer with an inflatable mattress, also for $400 a month. Rick, if you’re reading this, reach out! We’d just love to ask you some questions.
A shared room with a curtain divider included
For $377 a month, you can share this bedroom in San Francisco located a block away from the Market MUNI station. You get a dresser and part of the closet. There are two curtains to divide the confined space between the two beds, which are literally pushed up next to each other. While it’s good to see something exists at this price range for someone who needs it, the fact that listings like this one exist show the dire need to find solutions to this housing crisis.
That’s all we have this month. We’ll see you next month with more. If you come across any shocking rentals, let us know.
