pages: CityCouncil/2021-05-04.pdf, 8
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CityCouncil | 2021-05-04 | 8 | Coffin, Alameda. Stated housing is a human necessity; mass displacement and homelessness is the alternative; tenants should not be forced to pay to improve homes they do not own; rent is paid for a habitable, functioning home; pass-throughs allow property owners new ways to raise rents; the changes are unfair and will only worsen the crisis of economic inequality; urged Council reject the CIP proposal: Laura Woodard, Alameda. Stated passing the ordinance will affect his family and many Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities and renters across the Island; adding pass-throughs onto rent increases will increase homelessness and gentrification in Alameda as low-income renters are priced out of their homes; urged Council not to pass the ordinance: Vinny Camarillo, Youth Activists of Alameda. Stated Filipino Advocates for Justice opposes the proposed changes to the ordinance; amendments that undermine the City's present rent protections should not be considered given the ongoing pandemic and the immediate necessity for Alamedans to stay in their homes; COVID-19 has disproportionately affected low-income communities of Color; it is evident that the proposal is easily exploitable and will result in unsustainable rent increases for vulnerable tenants; renters can develop chronic stress and end up taking extra jobs which increases exposure to COVID-19; urged Council to vote no on the proposed amendment: Nelson Layag, Filipino Advocates for Justice. Stated that she is opposed to the plan due to its lack of protections for renters; landlords currently have to demonstrate a financial need prior to an upward adjustment on rent over the allowed annual increase; there is no such protection with the CIP pass-through; the program appears to have a bias for property owners; there is an ever-increasing inequality of income in the City, which has been getting worse as time passes; many renters are paying over 30 to 50% of their income on rent; all renters should be protected; the plan is unfair to renters; urged Council to vote no: Toni Grimm, Alameda Renters Coalition. Urged Council not to pass the pass-through provision; discussed a rental assistance webinar; stated the policy is complex and difficult to understand; there is not enough legal support for renters; many people are desperate to pay rent during COVID-19; small landlords may need support in order to maintain properties; expressed support for a program which taxes corporations for a pass-through: Grover Wehman-Brown, East Bay Housing Organizations. Stated that he opposes the proposed changes; rent increases below the Consumer Price Index (CPI) have been sufficient to finance improvements; rental expenses are planned and budgeted in advance and do not require sudden increases in rent charged; he has never had to exceed the CPI to cover major Capital Improvements for his property; many landlords who properly budget for improvements have improved their properties since rent control went into effect; urged Council to stand in solidarity with more than half of Alameda residents and reject staff's recommendation: William Smith, Alameda. Stated renters' financial struggles are burdened by the effects of COVID-19; many have lost their jobs; the proposed passage of the CIP will further financially endanger the renters; Regular Meeting Alameda City Council 6 May 4, 2021 | CityCouncil/2021-05-04.pdf |