The Big Tent Calls for Housing Reform in San Leandro
The Big Tent calls on the City of San Leandro to implement housing reform immediately and to declare that there exists a housing emergency.
Each year, housing scarcity and rents rising faster than wages cause many renters in the City of San Leandro to be evicted or priced out of their homes, resulting in housing turnover and unstable neighborhoods. This displacement damages our families and communities by increasing homelessness, food insecurity, pollution, mental illness, and lowering life expectancy. Community displacement hurts not only San Leandro’s residents; it also holds dire consequences for the resilience of our economy. San Leandro’s manufacturing employers, schools, and small businesses are already challenged in their effort to find adequately skilled, reliable, local workers. An insufficient workforce hurts business growth and San Leandro’s ability to increase revenues and improve our facilities and services.
San Leandro’s housing supply was approximately 73% below its Regional Housing Needs Allocation for 2015-2023 and needs to build at least 1,857 units of housing, with 30% at the low, very low, and extremely low-income levels to meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation for 2023-2031. Currently, it costs almost $2,000 per month to afford the average one-bedroom rental unit in San Leandro. To pay only 30% of income in rent, a minimum wage worker would need to work the equivalent of 98.5 hours per week. The financial situation is even worse for families with children and seniors.
The Big Tent recognizes that immediate and decisive action is needed to ensure that there exists safe, affordable, and supportive housing in San Leandro; that there are resources to protect San Leandro’s hundreds of unhoused residents; and that when rent increases are stabilized year over year displacement is reduced, tenants’ rights are protected, and the local economy is strengthened. As such, we propose that the city adopt a comprehensive housing reform ordinance based on our community's needs using evidence-based practices and data-driven decision-making that can serve as a model for neighboring cities.
1. Rent Stabilization. A cap on annual rent increases that is 60% of the regional CPI (less shelter costs) or 3%, whichever is lower with a prohibition on capital improvement and “pass-through” fees, dues, or levies unless petitioned to and approved by the review board upon a showing that the housing provider cannot otherwise obtain a fair return on investment; as well as limitations on the practice of “banking” deferred rent increases.
2. Just Cause. A just cause provision that imposes limitations on allowable grounds for eviction with strong enforcement mechanisms that provide greater protection than the State of California’s 2024 regulations.
3. Rent Registry. A rent registry that tracks all vacancies, re-rentals, evictions, rents, and rent increases, capital improvements, “pass-throughs,” code violations, city inspection reports, and all data relating to the ordinance for purposes of evaluating the rental market and enforcing the ordinance.
4. Review Board. A review board composed of equal numbers of tenants, renters, homeowners, and housing providers, that administers the ordinance and holds hearings on rent stability issues, including protecting a housing provider’s fair rate of return, unlawful rent increases, as well as rent reductions based on decreases in service, code violations and habitability issues. Any request for exemption from certain provisions of the ordinance must be approved by the rent review board after public hearing, subject to certain conditions.
5. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Provision. A DEI provision that requires the City to enforce its local inclusion policy and community workforce agreements. The City must collect and report demographic data regarding the ordinance and its implementation that includes, but is not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, nationality, religion, and age.
6. Funding and Staffing. An appropriation of sufficient funding to administer and enforce the ordinance, including staff that maintains the rent registry data, assists the board in dispute hearings, conducts public outreach and education, and provides housing counseling as well as software infrastructure. Funding for the ordinance should come from a per-unit fee to registered units, paid for by the housing provider.
7. Broad-Based Application. Broad applicability of the ordinance as a whole and each provision individually to the greatest number of units, including mobile home spaces, in-laws, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and future application to older housing on a rolling basis if or when state law is amended to allow such application.
8. Anti-Harassment Clause. An anti-harassment clause and right-to-organize provision that protects residents’ ability to advocate for their rights under the ordinance. Harassment may include, but is not limited to, withholding of necessary repairs, retaliatory rent increases, retaliatory evictions, retaliatory non-payment of rent, willful destruction of property, and verbal or physical behaviors intended to intimidate or discriminate against any individual covered by this ordinance.
9. Right of Action. A private right of action for individuals to enforce violations of this ordinance through legal proceedings as well as by the City, allowing individuals or the City to sue to remedy violations, for money damages, and for legal fees.
10. Noticing Requirements. Enhanced noticing requirements for rent increases, evictions, property improvements, and property maintenance that include specific information explaining the grounds for such action.
11. Affirmative Defense. An affirmative defense to eviction for a housing provider or property owner’s failure to comply with any of the provisions of the ordinance.
Please support housing reform in San Leandro by signing the open letter from SL HOPE at this link. Write to the San Leandro City Council via email at citycouncil@sanleandro.org. Join the Big Tent by contacting us at btsl@googlegroups.com. Together we can help build a better San Leandro for everyone.
Take note and take care.
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