JS Kalmbach

After buying a new $4 million mansion in Piedmont in July 2017, John Steven Kalmbach apparently needed to up his income. Having picked up a group of single family homes in East Oakland at rock bottom prices during the foreclosure crisis, he recently decided to double the rent on many low income households living in those homes.

He can do this legally under Costa Hawkins.

Kalmbach is the western area president for the Pulte Group, and sits on the board of HomeAid Northern CA, a "non-profit provider of housing for the homeless"

“It’s a tale of two cities,” said Justin Tombolesi, lead organizer for Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, which has been negotiating with the landlord on behalf of the tenants. “You go to his house in Piedmont and there’s a Tesla and a BMW and then you come here.”

“Here” refers to a low-income neighborhood in the flatlands of Deep East Oakland, where many of the residents are immigrants from Mexico and Central America.

Norma Sanchez, a housekeeper, logs 12-hour work days commuting to Mountain View because the pay is better. Her husband Ambrocio Carrera works at a Togo’s sandwich shop. They’ve lived in their two-bedroom place on Hillside Street for eight years. The youngest of their three sons was born there.

The couple said their initial rent of $1,100 has increased by just $100 since they’ve lived there. But then a month ago, a notice came saying that the new rent would be $2,400 on Nov. 1.

“We can understand that he would want to raise the rent, but not to such an extent,” Sanchez said. “We’re barely making it as it is.”

Steve Kalmbach was involved with Rebuilding Together Oakland

Member at 1931 San Pablo Partners, LLC
Member at 200 Brown Partners, LLC

Property

1087 WARFIELD AVE
2827 HARRISON ST
3221 E 17TH ST
1087 WARFIELD AVE
15 MUIR AVE
6 LINDA AVE
2669 RITCHIE ST
2684 RITCHIE ST
1450 86TH AVE
1633 87TH AVE
1717 89TH AVE
2526 RITCHIE ST
2735 76TH AVE
8020 HILLSIDE ST
8027 HILLSIDE ST
79 Hazel Lane
2531 78th Avenue