By Dianne Anderson

Everyone seemed to be on the same page for a change last week in San Bernardino, no drama, at least when it came to appointing Ward 5 Councilmember Kim Knaus to her new post as Mayor Pro Tem.

At the last SB City Council meeting, Knaus accepted her unanimous nomination.

She also commended community volunteers for their commitment to unity and pride in turning one neglected, city-owned lot into a vibrant space, a project based on feedback from her Visioning Survey that spotlighted residents concerns.

The area had been overgrown, littered, and overrun with drug use.

“I literally saw someone lighting up a crack pipe, meth pipe. I don’t know the difference. And it was literally right down the street from one of our local elementary schools and a couple blocks from my alma mater, Cajon High School,” she said, adding that she then contacted Luis Ojeda, founder of the grassroots effort, We Are The Change San Bernardino.

She said the effort received an outpouring of support with strong volunteerism. Some came with pickaxes, some with tractors.

“I’m just going to be real. It smelled like urine. It was bad. Now this beautiful place is making space. And even before it’s completed, because it’s not officially completed yet, it looks beautiful,” Knaus said.

As Mayor Pro Tem, Knaus will run council meetings and keep order whenever Mayor Tran is away.  She can exercise the mayor’s limited executive powers, sign official documents, or issue emergency declarations when delegated.

She takes her seat during a local housing crisis. Last year, she addressed the need for regional cooperation on housing.

At the City Council meeting, residents and advocates came out, some blasted the Step Up 450 N. G. Street housing crisis and upcoming evictions and displacements due to corporate decision making.

One advocate called on city and county leaders to help, saying that families are now facing homelessness during the winter.

Kathleen Castellanos described their property was bought and renovated with millions in Project Homekey funds, and they had a legal promise to remain affordable for herself and others living in that building.

She said her apartment has been a place of stability for two years so she could focus on her studies and career development without fear of instability.

“That sanctuary is now being shattered. The cruelest irony is that this is happening under a program that was supposed to be a solution to homelessness, and if there is no intervention, it will actively create more homelessness, which is now criminalized,” she said.

Another resident, identified as Frederick, said the eviction notice may not be for January 1, but he expects it soon. His lease is for five years.

“They would ask us to leave not because we broke any lease, or did any wrongdoing, or broke any laws or rules, but simply because someone, somewhere, did something. They want us out the doors in the coldest winter time,” he said.

Ashley, a member of the AIA Tenants Union, said that the state of California can increase rent by 10 percent each year, but called on San Bernardino City to get involved with the rent stabilization ordinance.

“One tenant said their rent is going from $470 to $1,383. Another tenant from $341 to $1,200. They have to pay this in January. All they did was bleed the community for $114 million, and they’re going to displace the residents,” she said.

After public comment, Mayor Tran asked City Manager Eric Leavitt if the city could explore options to assist residents. Leavitt said he would contact the county and see what could be done.

Earlier in the day, there was also a separate Special City Council workshop with all council members present. Housing and homelessness were identified as the critical issues in San Bernardino.

Last year, Knaus also talked about homelessness solutions despite the city’s tight budget and said that she aimed to bring unity and fiscal stability to the city.

“We can’t afford not to address homelessness. It is a human crisis, a public safety issue, and an economic concern. One-third of the county’s homeless population is here in our city. That is a staggering number, and it demands both compassion and action,” she told the Precinct Reporter last July.

During public comments at the morning workshop, Jeff Green talked about the Shangri-La Industries building on G Street, calling it a “gross situation” after the developer lost it due to bank foreclosure and residents received a letter of a rent hike.

Green called on the council to work as a team to implement solutions. He wants the city to explore models like the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA) or Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) to keep housing affordable and prevent renter displacement by giving residents or nonprofits the first chance to buy a building if it goes up for sale.

“Instead of having 75 people homeless in a month or two, you guys could get involved, work as a team, and solve a problem that’s real and critical in your city because housing is desperately needed, especially affordable housing for people and seniors,” he said.

To watch the City Council and Special Meeting, see https://ci.san-bernardino.ca.us/home