Updates

Yes on the Measure VV Event

Editor2 — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:33:00 -0500

By Lindsay Imai

Over 50 students, parents, bus riders, and people representing community and faith organizations gathered at the busiest bus hub in Oakland to spread the word about Measure VV and why it needs to pass in this November’s election. The group held a rally and then gave information out directly to bus riders.

If passed by voters in November, Measure VV will fill the gap in AC Transit’s operating budget – preventing service hikes and major budget cuts. If Measure VV doesn’t pass, then the consequences could be devastating to AC Transit’s over 200,000 daily riders- many of whom have no other transportation option and include youth, seniors, working people, and people with disabilities.

Listen to KPFA Wendall Harper's report on the event click Here or listen to KCBS' Bob Melrose click Here

YES on Measure V V

Editor2 — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:43:28 -0500

Keep AC Transit Affordable For Youth & Seniors

Preserve affordable bus passes
Help kids get to school and after-school activities
Allow seniors and the disabled to live independently

Today, 60,000 youth will ride AC Transit to get to school and after-school jobs and activities.

Today, 13,500 seniors will ride AC Transit to see their families, doctors, and buy groceries and other essential needs.

Chevron refinery project approved - concerns raised about health risks

Editor2 — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:58:04 -0500

By Katherine Tam

Chevron's contentious plan to replace decades-old equipment at its Richmond refinery was approved early Thursday by city leaders and denounced later that day by opponents.

A divided Richmond City Council approved Chevron's bid to replace its power plant, hydrogen plant and reformer so it can refine a wider range of crude with higher sulfur content, and produce 6 percent more California-grade gasoline. In addition, the council approved a separate agreement in which the oil company will give the city $61.6 million for more police officers, job training and other programs.

Opponents shouted "Shame on you!" and "Sell-out!" from the audience.

Web /Print Publishing Internship

admin — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:29:18 -0500

Writing, copyediting, proofreading and posting stories to the web.

Race, Poverty and the Environment (RP&E), Urban Habitat’s journal for social and environmental justice seeks publishing interns.. The positions are on-site in Oakland one to two days a week and the schedule is flexible. Assistants will write, copyedit, proofread and post stories to the RP&E website; do research on social and environmental justice issues such as racism, green economics; and climate justice and manage email alerts to readers and constituents.

Affordable Housing Lawsuit Back in Play--No More Excuses from Pleasanton

Editor2 — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:21:41 -0500

This Opinion piece appeared in The Independent, a weekly newspaper serving the Pleasanton area. Urban Habitat is a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the city for it's failure to build the amount of affordable housing as required by law. In response to a City Attorney's comments, Executive Director Juliet Ellis wrote the following Letter to the Editor which appeared in the Independent's July 3, 2008 Edition.

Given his statements last week (Affordable Housing Lawsuit Back in Play, June 26, 2008) Pleasanton City Attorney Michael Roush apparently needs to study up on his basic arithmetic.

As stated in the article, the City has reneged on its promise in the last Housing Element to rezone enough land for some 800 units of lower-income housing by June 2004. An additional 3,277 new units were allocated this month for the next planning period. For Mr. Roush’s benefit, that’s more than 4,000 units now needed, significantly more than the 2,755 units remaining under the 29,000-unit Housing Cap according to the City’s own staff report.

Appeals Court Rules Affordable Housing Suit May Proceed Against Pleasanton

Editor2 — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:32:14 -0500

Pleasanton, CA — The California Court of Appeal has reinstated a 2006 lawsuit by affordable housing advocates against the City of Pleasanton, ruling that it was improperly dismissed. “Without question,” the Court wrote, “the City’s duty to enforce the shortage of affordable housing is sharp and the public’s need for such housing is weighty.”

The decision by the three judge appeals panel will let plaintiffs Urban Habitat and low-income teacher and mother Sandra De Gregorio pursue their claims that the City has failed to meet its affordable housing obligations. In a 20-page opinion issued late Friday, the Court reinstated the October 2006 challenge to a range of exclusionary housing measures such as Pleasanton’s Housing Cap and Growth Management Ordinance. The Court also allowed the plaintiffs to go forward with a claim to require the City to zone land for affordable housing and two other claims alleging that the City’s land-use policies unlawfully discriminate against families with children.

AC Transit Board Bows to Community Pressure: Fare Hike Delayed

admin — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:23:58 -0500

AC Transit’s Board unanimously voted to postpone a fare hike until after November’s elections on June 11, 2008. They also unanimously approved a staff recommendation to place a parcel tax on the November ballot (details below).

Your phone calls, rallies, and public comment worked!

AC TRANSIT HAS NOT GUARANTEED THAT IT WON’T RAISE FARES (even if the parcel tax passes in November).

We must secure a commitment from AC Transit to keeping youth and senior/disabled fares low if the parcel tax passes.

Richmond Planning Commission to Require a Comprehensive Cap on Chevron's Crude Oil

admin — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:52:32 -0500

Community applauds the decision as necessary to prevent more pollution and related health ailments in the Bay Area

The Richmond Planning Commission voted to require a "comprehensive crude cap" as a part of Chevron's proposed expansion of its Richmond oil refinery. "This was a significant step fotward for environmental justice in the city of Richmond and beyond," said Dr. Henry Clark, executive director of the West County Toxics Coalition. Hundreds of community members with the Richmond Alliance for Environmental Justice, a coalition of community-based organizations, packed the hearing and urged Richmond's Planning Commission to stop Chevron from expanding the refinery's capacity to process heavier and dirtier crude oil.

Unprecedented Win in San Leandro

Editor2 — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:14:37 -0500

Developers Required to Meet with Community First

For the first time, a City Council is requiring Developers to hold public meetings that are open to community members, labor representatives, business leaders and other stakeholders before beginning the development process. This will give the public the opportunity to have a say in what the final project will look like.

Thanks to the hard work of Urban Habitat and coalition partners Congregations Organizing for Renewal and the Building Trades of Alameda County, San Leandro’s City Council unanimously voted in favor of adding an amendment to the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement between the City’s Redevelopment Agency, BART and developer/landowner Westlake Development Partners LLC. Westlake is the Master Developer for the first major development in the downtown TOD area, called The Crossings.

The Community Says NO to Fare Hikes

admin — Wed, 28 May 2008 14:17:12 -0500

AC Transit Board Can Be Persuaded – Final Vote on June 11

On Wednesday May 21^st, about 100 bus riders, community and labor groups and elected officials gathered outside of an AC Transit Board Hearing at Oakland’s City Hall to prevent proposed FARE HIKES. They then proceeded to testify at a packed, 3-hour hearing before AC Transit’s Board (longer description follows).