by the El Reportero staff
Housing advocates and tenants gathered Thursday outside the Alameda County Courthouse to call for stronger enforcement of housing standards after months of complaints about conditions at Oakland Station, an affordable housing complex in East Oakland.
The demonstration coincided with a civil lawsuit filed by nearly 70 current and former residents, most of them seniors or people with disabilities. The complaint alleges years of unsafe living conditions, neglect, harassment, elder abuse and violations of California housing laws.
Residents have reported mold, cockroach infestations, plumbing failures, broken elevators, delayed maintenance, sanitation problems and security concerns. Tenants say they repeatedly submitted maintenance requests and complaints to management and public agencies but believe many of the problems remain unresolved.
The concerns gained wider public attention after an NBC Bay Area investigation documented similar complaints from residents and examined questions about inspections and corrective action. Oakland Station is managed by CONAM, while the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee oversees the tax-credit financing that helped fund the development.
During Thursday’s rally, organizers called for stronger code enforcement, greater oversight of affordable housing developments and increased accountability from both property managers and public agencies. They said residents should not have to wait months for repairs involving health and safety issues.
The lawsuit alleges repeated elevator outages, widespread pest infestations, heating and plumbing failures, inadequate security and other maintenance deficiencies that plaintiffs say made parts of the complex unsafe and, at times, uninhabitable. It seeks damages and court orders requiring the owners to correct the alleged conditions.
Neither Oakland Pacific Associates, the property’s ownership group, nor CONAM had publicly responded to the lawsuit by press time. In previous communications to residents, management said it remains committed to operating the property in compliance with applicable laws and has taken steps to improve maintenance, security and common areas.
The dispute has drawn increasing attention as Oakland continues to address affordable housing challenges. Housing advocates say preserving existing affordable housing is as important as building new units, while ensuring that residents live in safe, healthy and properly maintained homes.
