James Cook James Cook Law Group
[email protected]
667 31st Street Oakland, CA 94609 415-350-3393
April 3, 2017 Libby Schaaf Mayor of the City of Oakland 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza 3rd Floor Oakland, CA 94612 RE: Request Meeting to Discuss Housing Safety and Inspections in Vulnerable Housing Circumstances Dear Mayor Schaaf: My name is James Cook and I am the attorney representing Urojas Community Services. Urojas was the master tenant occupying the first and second floors of the building located at 2251 San Pablo Ave, Oakland, CA 94612. This building caught fire on March 27, 2017 and resulted in four deaths. I represented Urojas in the eviction litigation leading up to the deadly fire and I continue to do so in the aftermath. I also counseled some of the individuals and families affected by the Ghostship Warehouse fire, which killed 36 people in December 2016. In recent newscasts, you expressed your intent to “overhaul fire safety inspection services” as they relate to vulnerable housing circumstances. Because I litigate these and other related issues daily, I can offer insight regarding how our current legal landscape and housing law create the circumstances leading to Urojas and Ghostship tragedies. I am in contact with two opposing groups prominently involved in advocating their perspective on housing and housing safety issues: the Oakland Warehouse Coalition, which deals with policy and law from the perspective of tenants and the homeless; and the East Bay Rental Housing Association, which advocates for landlords. I have already presented the possibility of a collaborative effort to these two groups. This latest tragedy presents an ideal time to bring these groups together in order to fashion truly effective legislation and policy. As part of the discussion, I would also include Alice Shikina of Shikina Mediation and Arbitration Services and Economist, Selma Hepp. I would like to meet with you in order to discuss some ideas as well as immediate options for addressing this issue, which is a direct result of the Bay Area housing crisis. If at all possible, I would like to set up a meeting before April 15, 2017.
Sincerely, James Cook James Cook Law Group
