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An Alameda County landlord began a hunger strike on Sunday to protest an ongoing eviction ban that he says has pushed him to the brink of bankruptcy.
Jinyu Wu, 53, an immigrant from China, has a rental property in San Leandro, but says his tenant hasn’t paid him for three years due to an eviction moratorium implemented in 2020 in response to the Covid pandemic.
A mother and children rented a unit from Wu shortly before the pandemic started, but now haven’t paid rent for 37 months. Wu says the tenants owe him around $120,000 in unpaid rent.
Because of the moratorium, tenants can’t be kicked out if they can’t pay their rent—although the policy also states that the tenants eventually have to pay what they owe.
Nearly three years after Covid struck, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors has continued to enforce the moratorium. The topic is set to be discussed at a Board of Supervisors’ meeting on Tuesday.
“We worked night and day for our new life and our American dream,” Wu said in a letter to the board. “Today, our property has been stolen from us by you, by this draconian eviction moratorium.”
Wu started his hunger strike at the Alameda County Administration Building in Oakland during inclement weather; a dozen landlords and advocates have come out to support him since. One of Wu’s signs said, “Hunger Strike Until Die!”
His story has made headlines in Chinese media outlets since late 2020. Wu has tried to sue his tenants but said his case has faced multiple delays and may not be heard in court until May.
The tenants could not be immediately reached for comment.
Jennifer Liu, a Wu supporter and the president of the Business And Housing Network—a nonprofit that bills itself as a defender of mom-and-pop landlords—urged the board to end the moratorium as soon as possible.
“California’s Covid emergency will end after tomorrow (Feb. 28),” she said. “And the eviction moratorium must end, too.”
There are rent relief programs for landlords, but according to Liu, the amount they can get is inadequate and Wu didn’t get anything. The programs also require cooperation between landlords and tenants to prove that Covid impacted their income, something Wu says is difficult to achieve.
The board is expected to ask for a report on available resources to support tenants and landlords after the eviction moratorium expires at Tuesday’s meeting.
Supervisor David Haubert told the San Jose Mercury News that he planned to support ending the moratorium policy because “it has outlived its original purpose.”
Liu said Wu’s situation was unstable Monday, as he has diabetes and is showing signs of high blood pressure. Wu said he will continue his hunger strike until the county ends the eviction ban.
:screm3: fucking die parasite. I'll buy any Bay area comrade a pizza if you eat it in front of them.
A mother and children rented a unit from Wu shortly before the pandemic started, but now haven’t paid rent for 37 months. Wu says the tenants owe him around $120,000 in unpaid rent.
Completely uncritical support. Praising support, if anything. I could not be less critical if I tried.
Like, imagine thinking that this single mom and her multiple children could somehow pay you $120,000. Utterly nonsensical.
$3,243 per month. Wow, how could anyone pay that? You'd have to make $125k a year, using the "rent shouldn't be more than 1/3 your salary" rule.
How expensive is the property if that's the rent? Landlords always have the option to cash out their business if the going gets tough.
Oh, you have to sell under market rate because there's a tenant who's hard to evict? That's the risk of running the business, owning a business doesn't guarantee you free money.
Capitalists when you point out their obscene wealth: "But I took a risk!"
Capitalists when they actually risk losing money: "Pwease Mr. Gowerment help me!"
Even within the context of a narrow capitalist world view, this situation lays bare the inherent parasitic nature of rent-seeking. A factory owner could at least make some sort of argument that they are engaged in an activity who's end result is the creation of new commodities and wealth for society. Landlords have no legs at all to stand on, feeling entitled to suck wealth out of society merely because their name is on the deed. Adam Smith raged about them constantly, because it was so obvious that they were sand in the gears of the machine of the economy.
$120,000 / 37 = this motherfucker is charging ~$3,240 a month for a presumably two bedroom unit
He doesn't imagine they can pay him. He imagines that he can throw them out of their own home, shake them down for downpayments on the odious debt for the rest of their lives and rent the place to new tenants who he can then leech off.
nonprofit that bills itself as a defender of mom-and-pop landlords
Reminds me of "Kulaks were peasants, they just owned a little land." Go fuck yourself
Funny thing is that there are indeed cases of elderly individuals or couples who rent out property since they're otherwise unable to provide for themselves well in a country with garbage social security. They just get used as a political cudgel by slumlords like these who receive well beyond their needs and are more than capable of working.
It's the same kind of "small business" spiel from people who own multiple restaurant chains.
Setting up a webcam to livestream the slowly dying landlord.
:volcel-kamala:
I think even the Volcel Police would have to you let you slide with a warning for this one...
dependence on passiv income degrades you , absolut dependence on passiv income degrades you absolutly..
Jinyu Wu could have just gotten a job himself like the rest of us are forced to do but instead of lowering his high class ass to the humiliation of ..... working ... :die:
This guy thinks the american government cares if he lives or dies? lol
The petite bourgeoisie are prone to severe delusional thinking.
