After a passionate public comment session with 38 in-person speakers and eight online comments coming from both sides of the argument, the San Leandro City Council on Jan. 12 voted for a first reading of the San Leandro Rent Stabilization Ordinance.
“We’ve taken the tightest provisions of various ordinances, and we’ve lumped them together. And I don’t think that reflects balance,” said Mayor Juan González, who voted against the first reading of the ordinance.
City staff said the rent registry ordinance, effective July 31, is a critical piece in enforcing rent stabilization. This is where landlords have to input information about their units and the rent amount.
One person said her mom owns rental units and lives in San Leandro. She said her mom uses the money for basic living expenses like medical care and property taxes. “This is an investment for her, this is her retirement. And while this ordinance is intended to prevent displacement, it unintentionally places a burden on seniors like my mom.”
A resident said, “When we can’t come up with money to pay our rent, we get told to leave, to evict. Houselessness has become not only an unfortunate option, but a consistent inevitability.”
The next step is for the council to approve a rent registry software, expected on the agenda on Feb. 2 along with a second reading of the ordinance.
