Alameda County Supervisors approve rental housing ordinances, but how long will it last?
A second reading of three ordinances for unincorporated Alameda County next month could reverse Tuesday’s vote
COUNTY NEWS
—HOPE FOR NOW—Three crucial rental housing ordinances that will give unincorporated Alameda County tenants new protections was approved by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday night after nearly seven hours of discussion.
—After some back-and-forth, supervisors approved just cause protections, a fair chance ordinance, and creation of a rent registry.
—County housing officials describe the three ordinances as Phase I, and hope to bring two more rounds of rental housing ordinances to the unincorporated areas, which previously had few tenant protections outside of state laws, and include some of the most impoverished areas in the East Bay.
—For renters that is the good part. Here is the bad part: The trio of ordinances may not live for a second reading next month that is required for formal approval by the Board of Supervisors.
—That’s because the Board of Supervisors’ slim 3-2 majority in favor of renters’ rights may evaporate and flip to the landlords’ side on Jan. 9 when Supervisor-elect Lena Tam takes the oath of office.
—Tam’s victory last month in the District 3 race was backed by local landlords and the California Apartment Association.
—“The elephant in the room is there’s a different board in three weeks,” Board President Keith Carson said on Tuesday. “We’ll see if everything will come unwound,” he said of the ordinance's future prospects.
—For hours, tenants and their advocates urged the board to approve the batch of ordinances. In particular, they voiced strong support for an ordinance that prohibits landlords from using a prospective renter’s criminal history as consideration for tenancy.
—Landlords spoke frequently of worries that the ordinances will take away their ability to select good tenants in the future, and alternately, tie their hands when it comes to evicting bad tenants.
—The most contentious discussion was on, perhaps, the most consequential ordinance, just cause renters’ protections. The issue nearly blew up again in Supervisor Dave Brown’s face on Tuesday evening.
—Two weeks ago, the rental housing ordinances appeared headed to passage until Brown threw in a bevy of last-minute amendments. An exasperated Carson said he would not vote on the new amendments until he and county counsel were able to ascertain their ramifications on the entire package of legislation.
—The blunder pushed the discussion to Tuesday and put the second reading of the ordinances in jeopardy of being rescinded or further watered down by the new board.
—Brown again offered last-minute amendments on Tuesday that his board colleagues and the public had not seen.
—County counsel said they had briefly looked over the changes on Tuesday morning. Brown’s changes constituted a drastic change to the agenda item that was publicly posted, county counsel said. Therefore, if the amendments were approved, a first reading of the ordinances would have been pushed to next month.
—Brown twice pulled back motions before he was able to get three votes for just cause. Supervisor Richard Valle supported the motion. “Half of something is better than half of nothing,” he said.
—Carson, peeved about feeling like a “political pawn,” said he would reluctantly support the legislation, despite the removal of what he and tenant advocates believe was key portions of just cause protections stripped from the ordinance.
