The San Pablo City Council has placed a citizen initiative about rent control onto the November ballot after adding language to the ballot question about what the measure would cost the city.
Last month, the City Council confirmed that organizers had collected enough signatures to qualify the measure for the Nov. 3 ballot. The proposal would restrict landlords in San Pablo from increasing rent by more than 3% annually, prohibit landlords from evicting renters without a valid legal reason, provide relocation assistance for renters, and create a city-administered complaint process.
The council is allowed under state law to commission an independent fiscal impact report on a citizen initiative before it is placed on the ballot, and the report for the rent control measure found the cost of implementing and administering the ordinance will cost the city between $1.08 million and $2.36 million annually if it is approved by a majority of voters.
Mayor Elizabeth Pabon-Alvarado called that “a substantial commitment for a city this size” to pay for increased administrative responsibilities, hearings and enforcement, and said those numbers should be included in the ballot question for voters.
“This initiative does not build a single new home, and it regulates the homes we already have,” said Pabon-Alvarado. “My goal is to protect tenants, who are also preserving rental housing and supporting responsible homeowners.”
Local tenant advocates Rising Juntos, which led the citizen-led initiative for the proposed ordinance, said during Monday’s public comment at the meeting that it was a community-led effort to help families live in San Pablo amid rising costs.
“Thousands of San Pablo residents stepped up to protect affordable housing, while corporate landlords continued to raise rents, forcing families to choose between rent and putting food on the table,” said Rhea Elina Laughlin, executive director of Rising Juntos. “When residents begged for help, this council refused to act.”
Rolanda Wilson, a San Pablo property manager, spoke against the proposed ordinance, saying it would discourage property owners from renting out their homes and reduce the city’s housing supply.
“Instead of leaving my home as legacy for my children and family, I will sell it and relocate,” said Wilson. “I would rather buy somewhere else and put it all on my family.”
The council ultimately unanimously approved adding the language about the city’s costs to the ballot question.
