The Alameda County Court system today ruled in favor of Wedgewood Properties, a Redondo Beach, Calif., based property investment company over a squatters group calling itself “Moms 4 Housing.” The Judge ruled the squatters must depart the property in five days.
“Justice is served. The court’s ruling is the correct legal, moral, and ethical judgement against the squatters that broke-in and illegally occupied the company’s house.
“Wedgewood takes no pleasure in having the sheriff enforce the court’s order to evict the squatters. We urge the squatters to leave voluntarily and peacefully so the company, in cooperation with the non-profit Shelter 37, can renovate the home using at-risk Oakland youth–and provide them with job training as well as share the profits from its sale with Shelter 37 so that other at-risk youth can benefit.
“The solution to Oakland’s housing crisis is not the redistribution of citizens’ homes through illegal break-ins and seizures by squatters. That is the violent, dangerous, and unsuccessful path taken by this handful of activists and supported by three Oakland city council members and the Oakland Community Land Trust. Councilmembers Nikki Fortunato Bas, Rebecca Kaplan, and Dan Kalb must take real steps to address Oakland’s drug abuse, mental illness, and homeless issues.
“Bas, Kaplan and Kalb and the Oakland Community Land Trust shouldn’t participate in media stunts with activists Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) and Mothers for Housing. Instead, they should concentrate on finding a non-violent and progressive way to address Oakland housing crisis that doesn’t rely on the theft of other people’s homes to solve their problems and address this serious issue,” said Sam Singer, a spokesman for Wedgewood Properties