We, the tenants of 901 Jefferson Street in Oakland, California, have formed a tenant association for the purpose of petitioning you to reconsider your approach to rent increases in our building.

While we believe reasonable rent increases are a part of life and doing business, we agree with neither the egregiously high increases that are being proposed nor the timeframe provided for us to make choices about signing a new lease or moving.

These increases and lack of decision-making time constitute a significant hardship on the families and friends who make up our beloved community.

Many people cannot put together a new security deposit in just 30 or 60 days, much less find a new home or budget in such a short time to start paying new amounts that can in some cases constitute a nearly 100% increase in existing rent.

We request that you rescind all pending rent increase notices and come to the table in good faith to discuss a more reasonable approach to rent increases in this building. Please respond in writing within 7 days.