Activists push for renter protections on Jan. 26 in Santa Rosa

Activists push for renter protections on Jan. 26 in Santa Rosa

By Lynda Carson - January 22, 2016

On Tuesday January 26, at 2:00pm, the Santa Rosa City Council will discuss renter protections, including rent control and just cause eviction protections, at Santa Rosa City Hall, 100 Santa Rosa Avenue. Everyone is invited to attend the meeting, make phone calls, or send emails to the council members, in the effort to stop the economic cleansing taking place in Santa Rosa.

Community activists with the North Bay Organizing Project (NBOP - http://northbayop.org/ ) and other organizations, including the renters of Santa Rosa, have been struggling to gain renter protections during the past year, or more. They want to stop their community members from being displaced by out of control rent hikes, and no-cause eviction notices, http://tinyurl.com/zv8zyzn .

People throughout the Bay Area and the North Bay are invited to contact the Santa Rosa City Council before Jan. 26, to demand strong renter protections, including rent control and just cause eviction protections.

The City Council is considering three different options. Option 1: Mediation/Just Cause for Eviction (JCE): Option 2: “Soft” Rent Stabilization: Option 3: Rent Stabilization:

Strong renter protections, including rent control is needed to protect families, school teachers, construction workers, union members, the working class poor, and many other fair members of the community from unethical no-cause evictions, and uncontrollable rent increases.

During several occasions in 2015, the City Council has been targeted and pressured by the multi-billion dollar housing and real estate empire, to allow the economic cleansing to continue when they discussed renter protections.

According to reports, the rents have increased by around 30% or more during the past three years in Sonoma County, where Santa Rosa exists. Rent hikes in California have also outpaced the national average during every month of 2015, according to AppartmentList.com - http://www.apartmentlist.com/rentonomics/california-rent-data/ . Of the ten most expensive cities in California, San Francisco is at the top of the list followed by Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey, Palo Alto, West Hollywood, Berkeley, Pacifica, San Mateo, San Rafael, and Foster City.

The uncontrolled, and unreasonable rent increases in the area are displacing families, school teachers, construction workers, union members, the working class poor, and many others.

If people cannot make it to the Jan. 26, meeting at 2:pm, they can send an email to the City Council in Santa Rosa. It is important that the council should hear from as many people as possible before the Jan. 26 meeting takes place to discuss renter protections.

Renters who can make it to the meeting, should get there before 2:00pm, in order to fill out speaker cards, and get a good seat before the seats are all taken by wealthy housing and real estate industry members, who are opposed to renter protections.

The multi-billion dollar housing industry that is affiliated with the California Apartment Association (CAA), are presently involved in the effort to have their members pressure the City Council into allowing unjust evictions, and uncontrollable rent increases to continue. This is known as economic cleansing. They are willing to say anything to protect their multi-billion dollar industry, in the effort to continue exploiting the renters to the maximum. Click here for full details: http://tinyurl.com/jkeyyuw .


Why Rent Control & Just Cause Eviction Protections Are Reasonable


Rent control is a reasonable option used by many cities in California, including New York City, to stabilize communities, and protect renters from uncontrollable rents, and a greedy housing and real estate industry.

Evidence reveals that rent control and just cause eviction protections together, offer stability to renters facing displacement from their communities. Families, school teachers, construction workers, union members, and the working class poor have invested in Santa Rosa with their blood, sweat and tears, and are a vibrant part of the community.

Being full members of the community they reside in, the renters have earned the trust of the city they call home. It is not unreasonable of them to struggle for protections from a brutal housing and real estate industry involved in economic cleansing, and maximum exploitation.

The renters of Santa Rosa have a right to live without fear of being harassed, or displaced. Landlords demonize renters as a way to fight back against renter protections, to further enrich their multi-billion dollar empire.

Rent control and just cause evictions, provide a fair return on the investment of landlords in city after city, and is a reasonable, fair, and balanced approach to accommodate renters, and landlords alike.

Additionally, rent control and just cause eviction protection should remain in place even if the housing industry can provide enough of housing for everyone.

The City Council should not punish the renters of Santa Rosa any longer, by ignoring the fact that rent hikes in California have outpaced the national average during every month of 2015, according to AppartmentList.com - http://www.apartmentlist.com/rentonomics/california-rent-data/ .

People throughout the Bay Area and North Bay are free to make phone calls, or send an email to the City Council of Santa Rosa before Jan. 26, to tell them why they support renter protections, including strong rent control and just cause eviction protections.

City Council Contacts:

Tom Schwedhelm, Council Member: 707-326-4495, tschwedhelm [at] srcity.org
Ernesto Olivares, Council Member: 707-975-0023, eolivares [at] srcity.org
Julie Combs, Council Member: 707-542-1906, jcombs [at] srcity.org
Erin Carlstrom, Council Member: 707-321-0278, ecarlstrom [at] srcity.org
Gary Wysocky, Council Member: 707-575-3820, gwysocky [at] srcity.org
Chris Coursey, Vice Mayor: 707-527-6588, ccoursey [at] srcity.org
John Sawyer, Mayor: 707-578-6006, jsawyer [at] srcity.org

Lynda Carson may be reached at tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com

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