Eviction/legal fees fund for tenants of the church

The church, also known to some as black hole cinematheque,  is a warehouse in Oakland that is currently home to 5 individuals but has at various points in it's 9 years of existence, operated as a space in which a wide cross section of people has found and created community. It has always been important for us to keep things free and open here, and now as our time in this space has come to an end, we look to our community in search of help navigating a tough and uncertain road ahead.

We have been fighting displacement from our home for over two years and we have sadly, finally lost that battle. We are all being evicted in early July and currently facing significant and rising financial hurdles as we search for new homes. Several of us are faced with having to relocate to different towns, different states, and some to different countries even. Being forced out of an area that many of us were either born in or called our home for several decades has been taking a heartbreaking toll on all of us. None of us currently have places to land as of yet and most of our belongings must go into storage or be sold as we search. Several of us are out of work already, in precarious employment, or will be forced to leave our jobs as a result of this relocation.

We have had to retain the services of a lawyer to help us in our negotiations with our landlord, to prevent further devious attempts at denying us of our rights. The lawyers rates are very reasonable but at this point it is unclear how long our legal issues will persist in this case. It could likely be a long struggle still. 

For these reasons we turn to our friends and community to humbly ask for whatever help large or small they might be able to offer to help us offset these costs on top of the heartbreak we all feel. Anything will make a difference and all is deeply appreciated. 

With love and solidarity to all struggling against displacement.