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San Mateo may enact just cause eviction protections & emergency rent control

by Lynda Carson (tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com)
It is crucial for renters to appear early at the Monday, April 4th - 7:00pm meeting at the San Mateo City Hall, 330 West 20th Ave., San Mateo, so the Council Members can hear directly why this proposal is so important for the communities of San Mateo!

San Mateo may enact just cause eviction protections & emergency rent control

By Lynda Carson - April 1, 2016

The city staff of San Mateo has recommended that the City Council should pass an urgency ordinance that would enact just cause eviction protections and temporarily ban any rent increases.

The ordinance could take effect immediately if it is adopted at its April 4th City Council meeting, and would last 90 days. The ordinance could be extended at a later date if necessary to protect the working class, poor, elderly, and disabled community members of San Mateo.

Due to greedy landlords being involved in economic cleansing, the eviction for profit system, unfair rent increases, and unjust evictions, City staff is compelled to do what is right for the communities of San Mateo with the “temporary measure”.

If adopted, the proposed emergency ordinance would enact the following renter protections:

-Prohibit any rent increases at properties built before Feb. 1, 1995, and will freeze existing rents.

-Would protect renters with just cause eviction protections in all rental properties including single family homes.

-Would require property owners to request permission from the city to increase rents.

-Property owners would be financially liable for tenant’s attorney fees and emotional distress when trying to displace a household with an unlawful eviction case that loses in court.

-Landlords would have to seek permission for the extent of renovations being done at properties in addition to how much in costs they may pass on to the tenants for rent charges.

Just cause eviction protections and rent control works to stabilize communities, stops unreasonable rent increases and unjust evictions, while providing a fair amount of return in rent to the landlords. It is a win, win, situation for all parties involved, including the City of San Mateo.

To Get Involved As Speakers:

It is crucial for renters to appear early at the Monday, April 4th - 7:00pm meeting at the San Mateo City Hall, 330 West 20th Ave., San Mateo, so the Council Members can hear directly why this proposal is so important for the communities of San Mateo.

Supporters of renter protections from all across the Bay Area are invited to send emails to the San Mateo City Council, to urge them to pass the renter protections.

City Council Contacts:

Mayor Joe Goethals, 650.522.7522 etx.6264 jgoethals [at] cityofsanmateo.org
Deputy Mayor David Lim, 650.522.7522 ext.6267 dlim [at] cityofsanmateo.org
Council Member Maureen Freschet, 650.522.7522 ext.6268 mfreschet [at] cityofsanmateo.org
Council Member Rick Bonilla, 650.522.7522 etx.6263 rbonilla [at] cityofsanmateo.org
Council Member Diane Papan, 650.522.7522 etx.6265 dpapan [at] cityofsanmateo.org

Sample Letter:

Dear Mayor Goethals and Councilmembers:
 
I support the proposals to protect renters in San Mateo as a way to provide homes to residents who live and work in San Mateo. I am proud to support renter protections as a way to stabilize housing for our neighbors, communities, and growing workforce.
 
I absolutely agree that we have a housing problem. Rent control and just cause eviction are the solutions to that problem. The renter protection proposals are the correct options and the right approach. The renter protection proposals will stabilize communities in San Mateo, and will stop landlords who are involved in economic cleansing, and the eviction for profit system.
 
I encourage you to support the proposed renter protections, including just cause eviction protections and rent control, and urge you to support these renter protections indefinitely. Doing so will help to bring an end to economic cleansing, and the eviction for profit system in San Mateo, whole stabilizing communities in the process.

It is time to stop punishing renters by ignoring the plight of the working class, including school teachers, union workers, city workers, seniors, the disabled and low-income renters being displaced by greedy landlords involved in economic cleansing, and the eviction for profit system.  

Please adopt rent control and just cause eviction protections as real solutions to real problems. Let’s continue to work together to support the communities of San Mateo, by stopping the economic cleansing taking place by those who are involved in the eviction for profit system. 


Sincerely,
(Your Name)


The tenants “civil rights movement” is also active in Oakland, Richmond, Alameda, San Francisco, and other cities throughout California. Stay connected and support the renter’s movement in your city, and other cities across the nation.

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


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