Oakland man avoids eviction amid 12-year battle over childhood home

HEAD HOME. PEAK DAYS FOR AIR TRAVEL ARE NEXT THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. >>> CHRISTMAS IS COMING EARLY FOR AN OAKLAND MAN THIS HOLIDAY. MELINA JONES EXPLAINS AFTER MORE THAN A DECADE OF FIGHTING ADDICTION HE'S SPENDING THE HOLIDAY AT HIS CHILDHOOD HOME. >> HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS AND BRINGS A SPECIAL MEETING FOR WHO HAS BEEN FIGHTING EVICTION SINCE 2011 IN THE HOME HE WAS RAISED IN. >> IT'S BEEN HORRIBLE. HORRIBLE. THAT'S THE NICEST THING I CAN SAY ABOUT HOW BEEN TREATED. >> IT STARTED WHEN HIS MOM AGREED TO A REVERSE MORTGAGE THEN PASSED AWAY SHORTLY AFTER. THE HOUSE WENT INTO FORECLOSURE DESPITE MAKING PAYMENTS AND QUALIFYING TO PURCHASE THE HOME LEWIS CLAIMS HIS LANDLORD HAS BEEN TRYING TO KICK HIM OUT. YESTERDAY WAS THEIR NINTH EVICTION ATTEMPT. A JUDGE DISMISSED IT FAITH ON A TECHNICALITY. >> THEN YOU'LL BE RECEIVING PAPERWORK THAT IF YOU'RE NOT A LEGAL PERSON HOW CAN YOU DIGEST THAT? YOU DON'T HAVE ANY REPRESENTATION. >> LOCAL ADVOCACY GROUP KNOWN AS CRC PAID FOR AN ATTORNEY TO REPRESENT LEWIS. TODAY THEY ARE LAUNCHING A CAMPAIGN DEMANDING THE CITY PROVIDE LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR THOSE FACING EVICTION TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AND LIMIT THE NUMBER OF EVICTIONS BEFORE PROCESSES TO 50 CASES A WEEK >> WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY FACED THE DREADED EVICTION TSUNAMI THAT SO MANY SAY WHAT HAPPENED. IT'S TO KEEP PEOPLE HOUSED AT HOME. WHEN THEY FACE EVICTION THEY GET A FAIR SHARE. >> EVICTION MORATORIUM AND IT LANDLORDS HAVE FILED MORE THAN 4000 EVICTIONS FOR RESIDENCE IN ALAMEDA COUNTY. OPEN COUNCIL MEMBER IS HOPING TO CREATE A NEW LEGAL COUNSEL POLICY CRC IS PUSHING FOR WHICH SHE BELIEVES WILL PREVENT MORE PEOPLE FROM BECOMING HOMELESS. >> IN TERMS OF BENEFIT, YOU WANT THE MONEY AHEAD OF TIME SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT ON THE BACK END WHICH IS WHAT PEOPLE IN OAKLAND AND ALAMEDA COUNTY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY ARE REALLY FRUSTRATED WITH. NO ANSWER TO HOMELESSNESS. >> HOME FOR NOW. IT IS A CHRISTMAS PRESENT LEWIS HOPES HE CAN KEEP AS HE CONTINUES PURCHASING HIS CHILDHOOD HOME. >> I'M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY TO COME TO THE DOOR.

Channel: NBC Bay Area

Views: 6,569

Keywords: Oakland, eviction battle, housing, Bay Area news

Id: qeGUq5bdbek

Length: 2min 24sec (144 seconds)

Published: Sat Dec 23 2023