The Antioch City Council this week directed staff to draft a just cause eviction ordinance that aims to bolster protections for renters beyond current state laws.

Advocates of the ordinance say it could protect renters from no-fault evictions and prevent some families from experiencing homelessness.

Renter and policy advocacy and racial equality organizations like ACCE Action, Rising Juntos, East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy, Monument Impact and Movement Legal, along with Antioch residents and faith leaders have been pushing for an ordinance that would protect renters from unnecessary no-fault evictions, such as renovating to circumvent rent increase prohibitions on longtime renters.

Council members agreed they would like to see an ordinance that is similar to the one already established by the Los Angeles community of Bell Gardens that includes relocation assistance for people who lose their rentals along with other renter protections.

It was not immediately clear when the draft ordinance would return to the council for review and discussion, but advocates are hoping to see it within the coming weeks.

‘Families are suffering’

Some of them shared stories of being displaced or dealing with rent increases beyond their means, along with fear of eviction over asking for maintenance.

“We’re really grateful to the council for listening to the tenants. Families are suffering — they’re at the risk of being evicted for no reason, so we’re really hopeful this will finally come to fruition,” said Gabi Rivas of Rising Juntos.

“These are laws that are already on the books. I think … the city of Antioch would be better served by trying to enforce the laws that currently exist.” Greg Terzakis, California Apartment Association

The California Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482) already requires landlords to have just cause before terminating tenancies, and that law established two types of allowable evictions: “at-fault” and “no-fault.” An example of an at-fault just cause eviction could include failure to pay rent or malicious conduct at the property, whereas a no-fault just cause eviction could be when a property owner intends to move back into their property and remove it from the rental market or to complete renovations.

The lone voice at the meeting that appeared to oppose a just cause eviction ordinance, Greg Terzakis, senior vice president of the California Apartment Association — a group representing landlords, investors and developers. He noted that when it was passed in 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom called AB 1482 the state’s most stringent in renter protections.

“And he was correct,” said Terzakis. “1482 prohibits a landlord from terminating a tenancy for a no-fault reason without just cause. These are laws that are already on the books. I think some of what we’re talking about here is duplicative, and the city of Antioch would be better served by trying to enforce the laws that currently exist.”

Laws with loopholes

Ethan Silverstein, a senior staff attorney for California Center for Movement Legal Services, agreed that while there were existing laws in place to support tenants, there were also loopholes.

“It doesn’t cover most single-family homes, condos, or (low-income housing tax credit) properties,” Silverstein said. “And that’s really significant because it means you can be kicked out at any time for no reason.”

Councilmember Michael Barbanica returned to the point that some renters might be scared to request basic maintenance for fear of being evicted for renovations and wanted to ensure the draft would return with proper protections for making requests for repairs.

Councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walker recalled this to be her very experience as a renter. While expressing frustration with how long it took to get renters’ rights in place, she pointed to the city’s high homeless population and how renters’ protections can help prevent homelessness.

“I get that we are the policy makers, but we should be making policies that center people … There are young people, children, elderly veterans, and a lot of unhoused people living on the streets of Antioch,” Torres-Walker said. “And if we were really committed to preventing homelessness, we wouldn’t have waited three and a half years to bring this policy back for a vote.”