Concord’s rent stabilization and just cause law took effect last week after a petition effort backed by opponents failed to garner enough signatures to put a referendum on the November ballot.
Adopted by the City Council on March 5 after months of public testimony and debate, the Residential Tenant Protection Program increases “just cause” for eviction protections, expands the city’s rent registry and establishes a rent stabilization program.
Like ordinances in Richmond and Antioch, the law caps rent increases at 3 percent annually, or 60 percent of the area consumer price index, whichever is lower.
It also requires just cause for evictions of tenants living in a unit for at least a year. Just cause includes non-payment of rent, criminal activity, material breach of a lease, refusing to allow the owner access, refusal to sign a new lease with similar provisions and duration, and subletting the unit in violation of the lease.
The ordinance doesn’t affect units built since 1995 or landlords with four or fewer units.
“After years of dedicated advocacy, we rejoice in this significant win for the Concord community. Concord renters, including myself, have been in this fight for eight years, because we have known how important these policies are for keeping Concord’s working families, seniors, and children housed for the long term,” Betty Gabaldon, tenant organizing manager of Contra Costa County for EBASE (East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy), said in a statement Friday.
“The withdrawal of the referendum represents a triumph of democracy over corporate interests, ensuring that the Concord community safeguards against homelessness and housing insecurity,” Gabaldon said.
“The withdrawal of the referendum represents a triumph of democracy over corporate interests, ensuring that the Concord community safeguards against homelessness and housing insecurity.”
Betty Gabaldon, Contra Costa County for EBASE
Landlords, realtors and other opponents cited California’s Assembly Bill 1482, a three-year-old law capping rent increases at 5 percent, plus the rate of inflation, which together can’t exceed a 10 percent annual increases, as proof tenants are already protected in California.
They also cited the economic damage they suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they were affected by eviction and rent moratoriums.
EBASE said the petition fell 7,204 signatures short of what was needed to get the issue on the November ballot.
The city of Concord said Friday that the referendum proponents notified the city they were withdrawing their efforts because of a lack of signatures.
The ordinance’s supporters said that between 2011 and 2021, Concord’s median gross rents increased 62 percent, according to city statistics.
Tenant advocates said high rents likely impact seniors in Concord harder than other groups, as 58 percent of area seniors — according to the Association of Bay Area Governments — are very low-income. EBASE said last year that meant about 2,000 households in Concord are vulnerable to displacement. The group said about 29 percent of unhoused people in Contra Costa County are over 55.