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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 21 January 2020

Homeless moms evicted from

Oakland home may return

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Carroll Fife of the Alliance Wedgewood previously
Homeless mothers who of Californians for Commu- had refused to negotiate
were evicted last week nity Empowerment. with the mothers’ group or
from an Oakland, Califor- Last week, following a the land trust but the evic-
nia, house where they were court order, two women tion made national head-
squatting plan to move from Moms 4 Housing were lines and garnered strong
back after speculators evicted from the vacant political support.
agreed to sell the property house on Magnolia Street “They’re representing tens
to a nonprofit organization, that they and their children of thousands of other moth-
it was announced Monday. had illegally occupied ers, families that are suf- In this Dec. 6, 2019 photo, Moms 4 Housing member Dominique
Wedgewood Inc. will sell since November. Sheriff’s fering,” Democratic Gov. Walker, 34, left, activist and 2018 Oakland mayoral candidate
Cat Brooks, right, and other activists react as supporters chant
the home to the Oakland deputies used a battering Gavin Newsom said last "power to the moms" outside a home in West Oakland, Calif.
Community Land Trust, ram to enter and arrested week. Associated Press
which buys and fixes up the women. “Wedgewood is thankful for
property for affordable The incident highlighted the outpouring of support action,” the company said company said.
housing. The group plans California’s severe housing for our company through- in a statement Monday. Misty Cross, one of those
to allow women from the shortage, soaring housing out the illegal occupation “We are honored and in- evicted, said the group will
group Moms 4 Housing to costs and a rising rate of of our Oakland property. spired to collaborate with continue pressing for af-
return, Mayor Libby Schaaf homelessness. A one-night We appreciate the local, the City of Oakland on fordable housing.
announced. count of homeless in the state and national support reasonable, thoughtful, “We won’t stop until every-
The city helped negoti- San Francisco Bay Area city for property owners as well and organized actions to one is housed,” she said.
ate the agreement with jumped 47% in two years to as the public’s support for address the issue of home- “We want housing to be a
the land trust and Wedge- more than 4,000 last year. non-violent discussion and lessness and housing,” the human right.”q
wood after a public outcry The evicted women had
following the evictions. said nobody should be
“This is what happens when homeless when investment
we organize, when people companies are buying and
come together to build fixing up properties to sell
the beloved community,” at a profit. Wedgewood,
Dominique Walker of Moms based in Southern Califor-
4 Housing said in a state- nia, has flipped 160 homes
ment on the holiday honor- in Oakland over the past
ing civil rights leader Martin nine years, according to
Luther King Jr. “Today we the San Francisco Chroni-
honor Dr. King’s radical cle.
legacy by taking Oakland The company bought the
back from banks and cor- property in the distressed
porations.” west Oakland at a foreclo-
Wedgewood also agreed sure auction last year for
to work with the city to ne- just over $500,000.
gotiate a right-of-first-refus- The Oakland Community
al program for all its other Land Trust will buy the home
Oakland properties, a city for a price not to exceed
statement said. the appraised value,” said
Wedgewood will give the a statement from the office
city, the land trust or other of Oakland Mayor Libby
community groups the first Schaaf.
chance to buy the homes The median house sales
“so they remain perma- price in Oakland is about
nently affordable,” said $750,000.