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It’s only May, but a coalition of progressive organizations came together last week to choose a candidate to represent students on a progressive Rent Board Slate in the November election. 

Paul Hogarth, a graduating senior in Political Science, got the nod of some 60 people who met in the ASUC chambers at a nominating convention called by Students for a Livable Southside, Berkeley Citizens Action, the Green Party of Berkeley, NAACP, Service Employees International Unions 535 and 616, Cal Berkeley Democrats, Associated Students of UC, Berkeley’s Renters Legal Assistance and other organizations. 

The groups, which plan a convention in July to nominate other candidates, wanted to nominate a student for the Rent Board slate before the summer break. 

“Rent control’s not dead,” Hogarth said in an interview Friday. “Vacancy control is dead.” 

That is why there needs to be increased vigilance against owner move-in evictions and illegal rent increases, he said. 

“Once a tenant has an apartment, the rent board has the power to regulate rents. Just cause eviction is still part of Berkeley’s rent control law,” he said. 

Hogarth, who will be looking for work, plans to continue to live in the student community. 

He said he wants to work for passage of a measure by the City Council, similar to one in Santa Barbara, where a city official videotapes newly-rented apartments. The purpose of the taping is to prevent landlords from withholding security deposits, by claiming that tenants have damaged the property, when they have not, Hogarth said. 

“I want to make sure tenants get their security deposits back,” he said. 

Hogarth also wants to educate people about their rights as tenants. 

“As long as tenants don’t know their rights, they get cheated,” he said.