Anthony M asks Anil Dwivedi…

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Slumlord

Legal problems have been covered by this news group that point to unfair rate hikes on your tenants.  

Eureka has a lot of low income housing can you assure us that peoples homes will not become slums if you become mayor?  Are we right to be worried?

— Anthony M

Response

Anil Dwivedi

I understand why someone who has read the headlines might ask this question, and I welcome the opportunity to answer it directly.

First, I reject the label “slumlord.” I am proud of the housing I provide in Eureka, and I ask people to judge me not by a label or an allegation, but by my properties, my record, and the documented facts.

The lawsuit involving one of my properties arose after a rent-increase announcement was issued. That announcement was rescinded in its entirety, in writing, weeks before the lawsuit was even filed. The rescission was also acknowledged in writing by the tenants and their previous counsel as well as this news group. I strongly dispute the allegations against me, and I believe the complete record tells a very different story than a headline alone.

An allegation does not become a fact simply because it is repeated.

I encourage anyone interested in this case to read the underlying documents, examine the complete history, and reach their own conclusion. Because litigation remains ongoing, I will respect the legal process rather than attack tenants or try the case in the media.

But there is something much more important I want people to know about me.

Long before I ever asked the people of Eureka for their vote, I was helping provide housing to people who desperately needed it.

Through my own properties, I have helped provide renovated studios and one-bedroom apartments to more than 40 extremely low-income individuals and families, many of whom came from homelessness or serious housing instability. Their average out of pocket housing cost is approximately $300 per month, with most utilities and services included.

And for me, homelessness isn’t an abstract political issue. I have experienced it myself.

There was a time in my life when I had almost nothing and spent months sleeping under a broken-down parked car. I know what it feels like to wonder where you will sleep. I know what it means to start with very little and build your life from the ground up.

Today, at 36, I have been fortunate enough to build businesses, invest in Eureka, create jobs, and help provide housing to some of the most financially vulnerable people in our community.

I didn’t start serving people because I was running for Mayor. I was doing it when there were no cameras, no campaign signs, no votes to ask for, and no title attached to my name.

So, are people right to question me? Absolutely. Anyone asking to lead this city should be questioned.

Ask me the difficult questions. Read the court records. Look at my buildings. Talk to the people I house. Examine what I have actually done for Eureka. Then make your own judgment.

But should Eureka residents worry that I would allow people’s homes or our affordable housing to become slums?Absolutely not.

I believe every person, regardless of income, deserves a safe, clean and dignified place to call home. I believed and was working toward that goal without any recognition or title before I became a candidate and I will continue working toward it whether I win this election or not.

My life has taught me that circumstances do not have to determine someone’s future. I know what it means to struggle, I know what it means to build something from scratch, and I know what determined leadership can accomplish.

Don’t judge me by a label. Judge me by the facts. Judge me by my work. Judge me by the people I have helped. Judge me by my experience, my merit, and my ability to turn ideas into results.

And then ask yourself: If I could come from almost nothing, build what I have built, and help house more than 40 extremely low-income people before ever holding public office imagine what that same determination, energy and work ethic can do for Eureka.

Anil Dwivedi