South Bay religious and community leaders gathered in San Jose Friday to push for more protection for tenants.
They are pushing for a Senate bill that would stabilize rent and give greater protection against eviction as the deadline to get the votes is just six days away.
The groups united under the organization PACT -- People Acting in Community Together -- and the slogan for the movement is “home is sacred.”
SB-567 would close eviction loopholes and would require landlords who claim the evictions are making way for family members to move in to prove it. It would also expand the number of tenants who are protected under the bill and limit rent increases to a more reasonable cap.
The group distributed fliers with how people can contact their legislators who will vote for or against it.
Gerardo Vasquez, pastor of La Primera United Methodist Church, says he has many people showing up for church to pray for their souls, but to also pray for housing.
He wants the public to remember that the renters looking for protection are taxpayers and workers who struggle to make ends meet.
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“They're working families. Families who work in hotels, restaurants and the fields. They sell groceries or churros or ice cream, everybody is doing something,” said Vasquez.
Some of the SB 567 protections were removed or watered down in response to opposition from landlords.
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