DATE: March 27, 2018
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Manager
SUBJECT
Title
Follow-up Discussion of Rental Housing Affordability Strategies and Community Proposed Tenant Protections
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
That the City Council: (1) reviews this report; (2) confirms four action items to be pursued by staff; (3) provides direction regarding policy components; and (4) provides direction regarding the community proposed emergency tenant protections.
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SUMMARY
The staff report provides follow-up information to the rental housing affordability strategies discussed and supported by Council at the February 6, 2018 work session. These strategies include:
• Improving the City’s role in providing information;
• Requiring mandatory mediation;
• Imposing longer noticing periods on large rent increases; and
• Reducing barriers to affordable housing development.
Additionally, the report provides information on the community-proposed emergency tenant protections including:
• Removing vacancy decontrol language from the Residential Rent Stabilization Ordinance;
• Enacting an emergency moratorium on rent increases; and
• Adopting an emergency moratorium on no cause evictions or amendment of eviction for cause language in the Residential Rent Stabilization Ordinance to cover more units.
The purpose of this report is to: (1) seek Council direction regarding components of the mandatory mediation program; (2) seek Council direction regarding longer noticing periods; (3) seek Council direction regarding the community-proposed emergency tenant protections; and (4) provide preliminary stakeholder feedback regarding improving the City’s role in providing information and reducing barriers to affordable housing development.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment I: Staff Report
Attachment II: Summary of Feedback from Stakeholder’s Meeting
Attachment III: Comparison of Mediation Programs
Attachment IV: Estimate of Improvement Value Based on Annual Adjustments