Rally held in support of Holocaust survivor facing eviction in Alameda

ALAMEDA, Calif. (KTVU) - His name is Musiy Rishin.

He fled the Nazi's in Ukraine in 1941 and eventually made his way to the the United States.

He's been living in an apartment in Alameda, and his rent is subsidized through the government program section eight.

But his landlord is raising the rent to market rates, and forcing him out.

"We're also here today because there's a landlord who owns a building across the street who told the media she's not a monster she just wants to kick him out, so she can make more money, said John Knox White with the Alameda City Council.

Alameda Councilman John Knox White is referring to the landlord who owns The Dunes, an apartment building on Alameda's Shoreline drive, where Musiy Rishin has called home for the last 17 years.

87-year-old Rishin spoke to the crowd in Russian.

He says his landlord will no longer accept Section 8 and is evicting him in order to raise the rent on his two-bedroom apartment $700 a month to $3200.

His daughter interpreted how he said he feels.

"Eviction without a cause under this condition is like a death sentence and it should not be happening," said daughter Svetlana Rishina.

Several dozen people turned out to rally in support of Rishin and others facing similar situations.

"I just thought you know we got to do something about people who are 80 years old and are going to be evicted it's just not right," said Sheila Shener of Alameda.

Catherine Pauling with Alameda Renters Coalition calls the situation price gouging and blames it on greed.

"My rents gun up over $600 month and only for years and it comes down to how much truly is enough," said Pauling.

Alameda recently passed an ordinance to protect renters from certain evictions.

"We had multiple complaints of section 8 tenants being evicted without cause. Will you passed a Just cause a few months back but there was a loophole in it that exempted section 8 tenants," said Alameda City Councilman Jim Oddin.

So the city council will take up an emergency ordinance next week aimed at protecting Section 8 tenants like Rishin from so called "no cause" evictions.

"He's very, very anxious, and he's hoping that the city will do the right thing and protect him," said Szveltlana Rishina.

That emergency ordinance will be voted on by the city council on Sept. 3.

Four out of five council members will have to vote in favor of it for it to pass.

If that happens, it would take effect immediately, and could give Rishin and others like him a legal leg to stand to fight eviction.