The draconian eviction moratorium has been leaving an immigrant man no other choice but started a hunger strike trying to get his house back.

Alameda County Board of Supervisors, the Mayor and City Councils of San Leandro, Oakland and Berkeley:

I am a first-generation immigrant. Both of my wife and I both worked hard to save for a small rental property in San Leandro. We worked night and day for our new life and our American dream. Today, our property has been stolen from us by you, by this draconian eviction moratorium. We are being severely abused over past 3 years because of this endless and biased law.

For 37 months we’ve received no rent, we are owed over $120,000 and have had to spend all our savings to pay mortgage, property taxes, utilities, maintenance and to keep from becoming homeless ourselves. Our Unlawful Detainer case was filed before the pandemic and it’s not COVID related, but it got postponed for 18 times because of the State and County’s Eviction Moratorium. The delay can go on and on if the County of Alameda does not put its Eviction Moratorium to an end.

And there’s more, we discovered our tenant no longer lives there. We don’t even know who has been living there. We’ve got no word, no rent from the tenant. We still have to pay all the maintenance expenses, mortgage, property taxes, insurance, and utilities. I applied for the rent relief assistance but the local government didn’t pay me a penny to help me so far.

The Board of Supervisors and the city officials are aware of my plight and the plight of all other mom and pop housing providers in the community yet they’ve done next to nothing to help. It’s not right for you to protect one side while completely ignore the other side. It’s not right for you to force the society’s burden on some individual’s shoulders.

I have no choice but to begin a hunger strike before I lose my property and to stop the BOS of Alameda county’s abuse against all mom and pops. The strike will begin on Sunday, February 26 at the Alameda County Administration Building. I’ve exhausted all means and I have to do something to make my voice heard.

In a reasonable society, the mom and pop like me should not be the victims. We provide housing to the communities and we deserve to be compensated.

I am on a hunger strike with an indefinite end date till my demands below are satisfied.

1. Immediately end the eviction moratorium to stop the abuse.

2. As a legal condition for extension, require all cities extending the eviction moratorium to immediately reimburse housing providers for unpaid rent from the date the County Eviction moratorium ends.

3. Reimburse ALL housing providers directly for the past due rent.

4. Establish a county-wide fund to help the vulnerable tenants.

Sincerely,

George Wu