Interview with George Earl: Hunters Point Tenants Union

KPIX Eyewitness News report from late 1966 by Ben Williams in San Francisco, featuring an interview with spokesman George Earl, representing the Bayview Hunters Point Tenants Union. He explains that residents have been asking the Housing Authority to improve building conditions for the past year and "they have done nothing ... So now it's time for the people living here to start doing something for themselves. So we formed a union." Earl goes on to describe how the first project they decided to tackle was re-painting building exteriors but housing authority officials arrived shortly afterwards and told painting contractors they were trespassing. The Housing Authority has now issued an eviction notice against residents in the union. When Williams asks Earl if he's going to leave, the man replies: "Ain't going nowhere man! I'm a be right here. I been here 14 years and I'm not ready to leave right now." He also points out that technically 35 cents out of every tenant dollar in rent is supposed to be spent on housing maintenance but their homes are in a state of disrepair. Includes views of the buildings in question.

Note that KRON-TV also covered this story slightly earlier than KPIX-TV on 12/20/1966 and this news footage can be viewed in KRON 1630-3.