By Tim Redmond
Jeremy Mykaels is still in his home. And that’s very good news.
The longtime Castro resident who is living with AIDS – and has been fighting an Ellis Act eviction – could have been thrown out of his apartment by now. But he’s never given up, has challenged the eviction (by South Bay speculators) every step of the way, won a legal reprieve because the landlords screwed up their legal forms (and because he had excellent legal representation) – and thanks to massive organizing by tenant groups, the speculators are under fire.
The group that bought the Noe Street building where he lives want to convert three units into one. The Planning Department is balking. The three partners in the deal are getting calls and emails and facing constant protests. And so far, they have not refiled their eviction notice.
So far, Mykaels is safe at home.
That’s a really important story, Dean Preston, a lawyer and leader in a statewide tenant organizing effort, told the Bernal Heights Democratic Club Tuesday night. Because, while Ellis Act evictions are terrifying, tenants can fight back – and with enough effort on every legal and political front, they can win. (more after the jump)
