Hispanic families in San Francisco’s Mission district are supported by Tenderloin Housing Clinic and St. Peter’s Housing Committee in a lawsuit against the Bureau of Building Inspection.
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Hispanic Tenants File Claims to Stop City Discrimination In Housing Code Enforcement
On Wednesday, December 22, at 10:00 a.m., at 118 San Jose Avenue (at 23rd St.), a press conference will reveal widespread discrimination against Latino tenants by the San Francisco Bureau of Building Inspection (BBI). The Latino family at 118 San Jose has had no heat since March, yet the Bureau failed to penalize the landlord for not providing heat. BBI’s consistent refusal to enforce city heat laws has left Latino tenants in the cold.
According to Neli Palma of the 400-member St. Peter’s Housing Committee, which on December 22 will join two Latino families in filing class-action discrimination claims against the
City, “The Bureau’s pattern and practice of non-enforcement of city heat and housing laws for Latino tenants is an intolerable violation of our civil rights. The Bureau does not even have a Spanish-speaking housing inspector.”
The Mission District’s version of Super Barrio, a legendary hero to tenants in Mexico, will speak at the event, which will be held on the first anniversary of the Coalition’s press conference at another Mission District building that houses Latinos whose landlord was not penalized for failing to provide heat.
Claim for injury to civil rights of plaintiff class and for violation of california and federal civil rights laws pertaining to the rights of latinos to equal protection of the laws (Government Code Sec. 910, et seg.)
To the City and County of San Francisco (“Respondent”):
- Claimant St. Peter’s Housing Committee (Comité ProDerechos de Vivienda San Pedro) on behalf of itself and all others similarly situated (hereinafter collectively “claimants”), hereby submits a Public Entity claim pursuant to Government Code Section 910, et seg.
- St. Peter’s Housing Committee is an unincorporated association of over 400 Latin tenants, most of whom live in the San Francisco Mission District. St. Peter’s has assisted thousands of tenants living in substandard housing, and many of its members have been the victims of Respondent’s violation of their civil rights as set forth below. The incidents forming the basis of this claim occurred in the city and County of San Francisco.
- Claimant seeks damages, on behalf of itself and a class of persons similarly situated, in an amount that exceeds $10,000 for violation of her right to the San Francisco Bureau of Building Inspection’s enforcement of the San Francisco Housing and Building Codes, particularly Housing Code Section 701. Claimant and the class are persons of Latino heritage living in San Francisco’s Mission District
Claimant’s address for service is c/o her counsel:
Randall M. Shaw
Tenderloin Housing Clinic, Inc.
126 Hyde Street San Francisco, California 94102
