RENT CONTROL HEARING – SAN DIEGO

The above group – San Diego Tenants United – is going to Call for an Emergency RENT CONTROL Ordinance at the next City Council Committee hearing. Tenants United Facebook pages says they began as a the Housing Committee of the San Diego Socialist Campaign. (goto FACEBOOK PAGE)

UPDATE: Click here for latest update from the San Diego County Apartment Association

Please Attend -Council Hearing on April 18, 2018 Wednesday, April 11th @ 2pm

Here is a link to the San Diego City Council Smart Growth & Land Use hearing agenda:
https://onbase.sandiego.gov/OnBaseAgendaOnline/Meetings/ViewMeeting?id=1167&doctype=1

Issue we will have at this hearing:

1. Expected at Public Comment – Rent Control Proposal from SD Tenants United for an emergency Rent Control Ordinance
   1. Property Owners will be needed to speak during public comment against Rent Control. Talking points are forthcoming.
2. Item 5: Strategies Preserving for At-Risk and Expiring Affordable Housing in San Diego
   1. Includes best practices with the many recommendations, but here are the highlights:

1.          Require owners to provide moving assistance for tenants.
2.        Prohibit discrimination against voucher holders.

                                                           iii.      Limit evictions to just causes.

1. We will need members to speak who have experience with rent-restricted units and what happens at the time of expiration. This may not be as concerning as the item above and below  as some of the best practices provided seem to be middle of the road and focus on incentivizing owners to keep properties rent-restricted.
1. Item 6: Strategies for Preventing Residential Displacement in San Diego
   1. Revisions to the City’s Tenants’ Right to Know Ordinance to address Section 8 tenants and include enforcement provisions
   2. Creation of a Relocation Assistance Ordinance
   3. Creation of a Section 8 Anti-Discrimination Ordinance
   4. Tenant’s Right to Legal Counsel
   5. We will need property owners here as well. We need stories on the problems with the existing Right to Know (Just Cause) ordinance and no need for expansion, why relocation assistance will hurt property owners and perhaps cause increased rents for others, why we support VOLUNTARY Section 8 acceptance versus mandatory (not about the tenant but rather the program), and how tenants already have access to legal counsel and all the issues landlords experience as a result.

We are working on a plan and will get more out on this as soon as we can. In the interim, we need independent owners (those who cannot weather all this regulation and additional costs). If you fee manage, contact your owners to attend. Some of you have already spread the word to apartment brokers, thank you. Tell your colleagues. Suppliers, this will impact you eventually so please attend in support of the industry and tell the story of how your business is impacted by regulatory burdens on property owners.

Please read through the agenda items and supporting materials. If you click on an item, the supporting materials will be on the top right for you to click on.

Many thanks,

Molly (SDCAA)