Rent control- Affordable Housing Preservation

By L A Wood

Pro-tenant candidate

Recent changes in the state's rent laws have contributed to our eroding "affordable" housing stock. The growing student population has also been a driving force in creating a market where demand far outpaces supply and so contributes to spiraling rental costs. It is critical that we encourage UC to contribute its fair share to the City's housing stock.

I am a tenant and will work hard to protect tenants from unsafe, substandard housing. Renters deserve to live in safe, well-maintained apartments.

The education of tenants about the rent protections to which they are entitled has been good, but nonetheless needs to be improved. The Council could and should be more supportive of the rent board process and must lobby for changes at the state level.

The inspection of rental housing has been enhanced, but Council needs to do more to strengthen this aspect of Rent Control by including such issues as lead paint abatement and more comprehensive inspections by qualified professionals.

More must be done to promote loans at the federal and local levels for tenants to purchase their own housing units and to finance limited equity co-op housing. Both the first-time and the low-income homeowner assistance programs need to be championed as well.