Whether it's a sudden notice from a landlord that they're being evicted or a need for quick and affordable medical attention, women don't always have the legal knowledge to protect their rights.
The San Diego County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls called for change that Saturday in a series of panel discussions with experts in the fields of housing, health care, employment and immigration.
County Commission Chair Melinda Vasquez said she is well aware of the lack of knowledge that many women have regarding their rights to demand access to life's most basic necessities.
“As I provide pro bono legal services at domestic violence clinics and conservatorship clinics, I often think about how many women have never learned about their rights,” said Vazquez, of Valencia, San Diego. He spoke to attendees gathered at the Southeastern Live Well Center. park community. “We're going to change that one thing at a time.”
Saturday's symposium was made possible by a $32,000 grant awarded by the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. Vázquez said the commission plans to hold another event in the future that focuses solely on trafficking in women.
The “Know Your Rights” event attracted women who said they wanted to not only learn strategies to help themselves, but also support those they work with in their work and volunteer work.
“This is about the rights and responsibilities of Latina women, and what we are doing for them,” said Beatriz Fernandez, co-chair of the nonprofit Mana de San Advocacy Committee. I thought it was a great fit for what we're trying to do.” Diego. “We believe affordable housing is paramount to the communities we represent, so we want to ensure that people who rent too high cannot rent, cannot buy, or who cannot afford to live on one paycheck. We wanted to hear different ideas they might have about providing housing for the “homeless''. ”
Amarea Romero, lead attorney for the Legal Aid Society's Fair Housing Team, speaks to attendees about housing rights at the Know Your Rights symposium.
(From Christian Carreon/San Diego Union-Tribune)
Speakers from the Housing Rights Panel reminded attendees of the California Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which aims to curb excessive rent increases as well as prevent unnecessary evictions.
Key takeaways from the session:
- Under the law, California landlords are limited to annual rent increases of no more than 10 percent or 5 percent The sum of the current rent and the local inflation rate, whichever is lower. Local governments have the right to enact even more stringent rent increase protections.
- The Act also has very clear regulations on what a landlord must and must not do before terminating a tenant's tenancy. “Landlords can't just call up and say, 'I want to terminate the lease, get out, get out,'” said Heather Carmody with the San Diego Volunteer Lawyers Program. “That means they can't change a tenant's keys, throw their belongings in the yard, or interrupt or cancel their utilities. They have to follow certain procedures. And pretty much everything In rental agreements, landlords must give advance written notice of their desire to terminate the rental agreement.
- Jennifer Monterosso of the San Diego Legal Aid Society advises people to be aware that once a wrongful detainer (eviction) case is filed in court, it is an especially fast-track process. “We call it the rocket docket, and there's a reason we call it that,” she said. “For example, if a landlord files a complaint, you as a tenant have five days to respond to that complaint. In regular civil litigation, the timeline from receiving a complaint to responding is typically 30 days. So 5 days is early.”
Lisa Fitzpatrick, who works as the San Diego County Board of Commissioners clerk, said she attended Saturday's event because housing and health care issues are close to home for her, her friends and family.
“We have housing, but the rent levels are crazy,” said Fitzpatrick, who lives in southeast San Diego. “My rent just went up by $200 this month. I also enjoy supporting women and girls and am interested in topics related to teen health. I have several granddaughters. Women's Health Issues I'd also like to know more about it. I have a friend who is currently looking for where she can get a free mammogram.”
Tracy Skadan, general counsel for Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, told the audience that in California, patients have the right to be “treated with consideration and respect,” and they also have the right to information that they can understand. It reassured me. Because it has to do with treatment and overall health care options.
“One of the things I love most about working as a family planning system attorney is the right to private and confidential communications with providers,” she said. “That includes your records. Not just anyone can request your records. And you have the right to nominate a hospital visitor, for example. This has changed. For many years Before, you had to be married or a blood relative. Now it can be anyone you want. There's no need to register a domestic partnership or anything like that.”
