Choose a progressive affordable housing rent board slate

http://www.dailycal.org/2012/10/16/choose-a-progressive-affordable-housing-rent-board-slate/

By: Igor Tregub and Judy Shelton

The race between the two competing slates for Berkeley’s Rent Board is remniscient of of the presidential contest, with Tenants United for Fairness claiming they’re for “transparency” and “fiscal responsibility,” but with only one slate with the experience and conviction to provide you fair rents and eviction protections.

The Progressive Affordable Housing Slate is a dedicated group of three sitting commissioners — Igor Tregub, Asa Dodsworth and Judy Shelton — and the vice-chair of the Housing Advisory Commission, Alejandro Soto-Vigil.  We’ve been working in the community on social justice issues for years, and it shows in our endorsements:  the Sierra Club, Cal Dems, SEIU Local 1021, nearly every Democratic club, the Berkeley Green Party and Supervisor Keith Carson, among others.

Even more importantly, unlike the self-selected, Berkeley Property Owners Association-backed TUFF, we were elected to run by a grassroots convention of tenants, homeowners and landlords.  The election was  held at a public 2012 Affordable Housing Convention and Berkeley Tenant Convention in July and was open to all Berkeley residents.  We were chosen by the community that we serve.