Working to Bring Eboni Route Home for the Holidays
A story in today’s San Francisco Chronicle by Kimberly Veklerov details the challenges faced by Eboni Route in fighting an improper lockout by the Oakland Housing Authority. Represented by her BayLegal attorneys Rebekah Evenson and Emma Dinkelspiel, Eboni was in court and at her OHA housing site today, hoping the agency would abide by a judge’s ruling ordering her immediate return to the unit from which she had been locked out without an eviction order since December 5th. Eboni has been sleeping in a car for the past two weeks, unhoused and separated from her dogs, her medical equipment, and her college textbooks. As of this afternoon, OHA had signaled its unwillingness to comply with the order, and given indications that Eboni’s apartment might be in the process of being prepared for occupancy by a new tenant.
BayLegal will be back in court tomorrow, fighting to ensure that the legal protections afforded Eboni by the judge’s ruling are respected, and that our client is not left unhoused through the long holiday weekend.
Update, December 21st
OHA has agreed to allow Ms. Route access to her possessions today, and will put her up in a hotel while the repairs to her unit are completed and her keys can be returned to her. While this is not a final settlement, we are optimistic about the outcome of the case — and deeply relieved that Ms. Route will not spend the long holiday weekend without shelter.