| Hi Friend,
Our tenant organizing in Ventura County has led to exciting wins to protect renters in our communities.
Many tenants are forced to live with unsafe or poor conditions as if it’s normal. Small issues – like a broken stove or a leaking faucet – often go unrepaired, even after being reported multiple times. Over time, these problems get worse and can make a home unsafe, putting families’ health at risk.
When renters speak up or report issues to the city, they can face retaliation from their landlord. This can include shutting off water, pressuring tenants to move out without legal cause, repeated inspections, eviction threats, or even threats of harm.
This is harassment – and it’s been happening for far too long.
Housing stability matters not just for individual families, but for our entire community. When people are able to stay in their homes, children remain connected to their schools, workers stay close to their jobs, and neighborhoods maintain the relationships that help us thrive.
That’s why Ventura and Oxnard have taken an important step by passing new Anti-Harassment Ordinances to protect renters from landlord harassment and illegal pressure to move.
Click here to learn more about what housing harassment is and what to do if you experience it.
These ordinances show what’s possible when our communities are organized and our voices are heard. But one policy alone cannot solve the housing crisis. The work ahead will determine whether housing stability becomes something our communities can count on – not something working families must quietly hope for.
In the fight for tenant rights,
Lucas Zucker and Hazel Davalos
Co-Executive Directors, CAUSE
P.S. Let’s continue moving forward together – tell the Ventura School District to use surplus land for affordable housing. This is a rare opportunity to invest in Ventura families and put people over profit on public land. |
