BERKELEY

State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, with co-authors state Sen. Scott Wiener and Assemblymembers Rob Bonta and Buffy Wicks, has unveiled Senate Bill 18, the “Keep Californians Housed” bill to stop homelessness before it starts by expanding state funding to provide rental assistance as well as legal aid to help residents stay in their homes.

Keep Californians Housed is modeled on a program recently begun in Oakland named Keep Oakland Housed, which in just two months has helped approximately 150 Oakland families remain in their residences. According to a 2009 Los Angeles study by the Economic Roundtable, providing services and emergency response to homeless individuals can cost taxpayers nearly $35,000 a year. Programs like Keep Oakland Housed expend up to $7,000 to assist families as risk of displacement.

‘Getting Home Safe’ law would stop dangerous jail releases

Skinner on Dec. 3 reintroduced SB 42, the “Getting Home Safe Act,” to curtail dangerous, dead-of-night releases from county jails. Skinner proposed the bill in response to this summer’s tragic death of one of her constituents, Jessica St. Louis, who was released from Alameda County’s Santa Rita Jail at 1:25 a.m. July 28.

“It makes no sense that a jail would send someone walking alone to a closed train station in the dead of night,” Skinner said. “Jessica’s death was a preventable tragedy.”

St. Louis was released from Santa Rita Jail with nothing more than a BART card — even though the nearest BART station was more than a mile away and wouldn’t open for more than four hours. At the time of her release, St. Louis did not have a working cell phone to contact friends or family in order to secure a safe place to go after her release. Just before sunrise, St. Louis was found lifeless in front of the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station.

St. Louis is not the only woman to face danger after being released from Santa Rita. At an Aug. 7 news conference hosted by reform advocates from the nonprofit Young Women’s Freedom Center, speakers shared accounts from other women who were intercepted by drug dealers, men trying to recruit them into prostitution and others who tried to take advantage of them as they left Santa Rita Jail. Skinner’s office coordinated with members of the Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition (part of the Young Women’s Freedom Center) to develop the provisions contained in SB 42.

— state Sen. Skinner’s office

ALBANY

New Cal student art exhibit now open at Belmont Village

A new juried art exhibit and intergenerational project presented by the UC Berkeley Retirement Center, the Department of Art Practice and Belmont Village Senior Living recently opened with new student art.

“These biannual exhibits are a way to weave the culture of UC Berkeley into the Belmont Village community, and it’s evolved into so much more. For many students this is their first time presenting their art work to an audience. The residents’ curiosity and enthusiasm make for a wonderful learning experience,” said Cary Sweeney, MS, the UC Berkeley Retirement Center’s director.

Attending the reception were UC Berkeley student artist Kimberly Pack; Belmont Village Executive Director Michelle Moros; Sweeney and Albany Mayor Peggy McQuaid. Other participating artists are Tamara Pantic, Xinyu Huang and Wing Kei Kwan. The gallery is open to the public. For more details, call Belmont Village Albany at 510-525-4554.

— Belmont Village Albany

Gift swap set for Dec. 9 at Albany Community Center

Get ready for the influx of holiday gifts this season and purge old ones before the toy storm hits! Reduce your holiday footprint and go green this year by swapping the old for the “new to you.”

Walk around your house with your children and have them help identify books, toys and puzzles that they no longer use. Make sure everything is working properly, has all its pieces and is clean. Pack up a box, bring them down to the Albany Community Center, and take home a few “new-to-you” items.

Clean toys thoroughly beforehand. Toys must be gently used and in working order and have no missing pieces. No stuffies, please. Swapping begins promptly at 9:15 a.m. — arrive early for the best selection.

‘Rent Review’ ordinance workshops on Dec. 11, Jan. 12 The city of Albany has scheduled workshops on its “Rent Review” ordinance for Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. and Jan. 12 at 11 a.m., for which the public is invited. On June 4, the Albany City Council approved the ordinance that added Section 5-25 “Rent Review” to the Albany Municipal Code establishing a rent review program. The ordinance regulates most residential rental units in Albany and provides a mediation process for qualifying rent increases. Landlord participation in the rent review process is mandatory, but all recommendations are nonbinding. The ordinance became effective Nov. 2nd, and all Rent Review program forms are now on the city’s webpage at www.albanyca.org/rentreview.

— city of Albany

EL CERRITO

Grand opening for Centennial Park’s Phase I on Dec. 12

The city of El Cerrito, using some of its Measure WW park improvements funds, has finished Phase I of the Centennial Park (previously called Fairmont Park) improvements. The community garden is in Phase II (its schedule and funding are still to be determined), but El Cerrito Community Garden Network (ECCGN) members hope to get at least some garden beds back in action in the Spring — the ECCGN will keep the public posted as that progresses. The grand opening of the park will be Dec. 12 at 11 a.m.

— El Cerrito Community Garden Network