According to new confirmed reports, landlords in Oakland, California can no longer use criminal history as a means to qualify or disqualify tenants, making it the first city in Cali to ban the practice.
The vote was passed on Tuesday of this past week and any landlord caught in violation can receive a fine of up to $1,000. This new law passed by the City Council was pushed forward in order to help curb the city’s homeless crisis.
Councilman Larry Reid, whose son will be released from prison in a few months, had this to say about the new ordinance: “This piece of legislation is going to make a huge difference in his life as he begins to do the things that he ought to be doing, to improve the quality of his life and for my two granddaughters.”
