Tenant activists delay discussion about Alameda County's eviction moratorium

On January 10, landlords and their allies waited patiently for hours to chime in on the county's eviction moratorium before Supervisor Keith Carson used a procedural stalling tactic to kick the can down the road.

When the matter was again up for consideration on January 24, protesters disrupted the meeting, forcing the Supervisors into a closed session. When the meeting came back online hours later, protests erupted again with some in attendance chanting, "fight fight, housing is a human right."

Newly elected and real-estate-backed Supervisor Lena Tam stands to add a voice of reason and cast the vote needed to lift or modify California's most draconian eviction moratorium.

We were looking forward to hearing from Tam on the 24th and while we were disappointed that the unruly meeting prevented us from getting a glimpse into the Supervisor's positions, we'll find out soon enough.

Tam took to Twitter two days later promising a thoughtful, deliberative approach to housing issues. While the Supervisor did not take a stance on the eviction ban, we are encouraged that she wants a fluid discussion, something that has been conspicuously absent from the Board thus far.