CAUSE Holds ‘Moving Day’ Protest
Group Seeks Eviction Protection For Santa Barbara Tenants
The Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), along with several other community partners, is holding a “Moving Day” protest on State Street Saturday afternoon to fight the mass evictions that are expected after the eviction moratorium ends.
The protest was initially set because moratoriums were to expire June 30 — though it was extended through September 30 on Thursday. For CAUSE policy advocate Frank Rodriguez, this doesn’t change the need for the protest.
“At the end of the day the extension doesn’t make a difference,” Rodriguez said. “It’s always been a temporary solution and it doesn’t change the focus of our rally.”
The rally’s focus, beyond the moratorium, he said, is maintaining the “tenant triangle of protections.” The three pieces include habitability enforcement, stabilizing rent, and eviction protection — like the city’s just cause ordinance.
CAUSE has also called on the City Council to move on the Community Stabilization Initiative — a plan to stabilize rent increases in Santa Barbara. The petition can be found here. Rodriguez said for him, the biggest fear with increasing rents is the drop in the local Latinx population that is being increasingly pushed out.
The protest is at 1 p.m. Saturday, starting at the Santa Barbara Amtrak Station.
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