A bill to deny landlords the ability to evict tenants without cause recently passed in the state legislature, and subsequently, longtime South Pasadena residents have been evicted from their homes. Many of the residents have children in SPUSD schools and have been forced to scramble to find a new home while balancing their own and their children’s lives. Read six affected tenants’ call for the South Pasadena City Council to pass an ordinance banning evictions without just cause at a special meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
Dear South Pasadenans:
We are your neighbors. We are families, women, single mothers, seniors, the disabled and students. We are among many more South Pasadenans who have recently received 60-day no cause eviction notices. We are being heartlessly and systematically displaced from our community.
We are:
“My daughter and I were shopping local as we normally do in our South Pasadena community. We were captured in the City’s recent promotional video “Come Grow With Us.” You can see us at 1:10 minutes of the video. Since then I was given a 60-day notice to move out of our apartment after living here for 9 years.” – Christine Bullard
“I moved to South Pasadena as a single mother twelve years ago and raised my son in this apartment. We work and shop here, have performed in the Eclectic Music Festival, and have neighbors and friends who have welcomed us as family. We’ve built a life here and this is our home.” – Anny Celsi
“I am a single parent to a child with special needs. We are actively involved in our community. We cook and donate meals to our police and firefighters, we dance at Concerts in the Park, we march in the 4th of July Parade, and I’m actively involved in Women’s Club. We shop and celebrate at Dinosaur Farm, Fair Oaks Pharmacy, Canoe House, Urban Pet and the Farmers Market. On Halloween, my child was handed a 60-day notice to vacate without cause. That same night, we received a 30-day notice of rent increase. We are just as much a part of South Pasadena as all other residents.” – Rachel Hamilton
“My husband and I have lived in South Pasadena for almost four years. We are longtime parishioners of Holy Family, and we love this community. In September, out the blue, we received an eviction notice giving us 60 days to find a new home and forcing us out by Thanksgiving weekend. Many of our neighbors were also impacted by these heartless evictions during the holidays.” – Evelyn and Steven Allen
“My children and I first moved to South Pasadena in 2005 right after my divorce for the excellent public-school education and family-oriented community. Although we are originally from Japan, we call South Pasadena our home and met amazing people that we call friends/ family. Then, on my son’s birthday, I received a notice to move within 60 days from what we called home for the past 9 years. I can’t even get excited about the holidays as I don’t even know how I will afford the moving expenses and new rent.” – Yuki Kubota Simmons
Our list goes on…
We are asking that our City Council and Mayor pass an emergency just-cause eviction ordinance at this Wednesday’s council meeting. Just cause protects a tenant from being evicted unless they a) don’t pay rent or don’t pay rent on time, b) violate a term of the lease, c) conduct illegal activity in the unit. This just-cause ordinance must apply to any notices that have been given since Sept. 11, 2019 so that South Pasadena residents, who received no-cause evictions as of that date, can stay in their homes. This action will keep us, and countless others, from losing our homes. Our homes are where we break bread with neighbors, make art and raise children. We want to stay here with all of you: to eat in our restaurants, shop in our stores, play in our parks, and let our children continue their amazing educations in our schools. Please help us to stay here with you in this amazing place we all call home.
Austen Blokker
South Pasadena
Anny Celsi
South Pasadena
Karen Kearney
South Pasadena
Yuki Kubota Simmons
South Pasadena
Rachel Hamilton
South Pasadena
Christine Bullard
South Pasadena
