7,000 signatures collected to repeal Richmond’s renters protections

7,000 signatures collected to repeal Richmond’s renters protections

By Lynda Carson - September 3, 2015

Richmond - According to the Contra Costa Times, the California Apartment Association announced today that they collected over 7,000 signatures from Richmond residents to repeal renters protections. They need 4,100 valid signatures to turn in by September 4. The signatures still need to be validated and turned in before they can be used to repeal renters protections in Richmond.

During July, a majority of Richmond City Council members voted on an ordinance to protect renters from displacement, which included rent control and just cause eviction protections.

It was a long-term effort to stop the displacement of renters facing eviction from increasing high rents, greedy landlords, and sales of rental properties by realtors displacing families in the process. Rents have increased more than 24% in recent years, in Richmond. It was also the first time in 30 years that rent control was passed by a California city to protect vulnerable renters facing the choice of going hungry, paying the rent or being pushed out of their housing.

Many groups were behind the organizing effort to protect renters from displacement in Richmond, including: AFSCME Local 3299, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, Tenants Together, Asian Pacific Environmental Network, Building Blocks for Kids Richmond Collaborative, California Nurses Association, CCISCO (Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization), Centro Latino Cuzcatian, CUIDO (Communities United in Support of Olmstead), Eviction Defense Center, EBHO (East Bay Housing Organization), Iron Triangle Neighborhood Council, Richmond Progressive Alliance, Saffron Strand, SEIU Local 1021, Urban Habitat, and Urban Tilth.

On the other side, many landlords, realtors, speculators, apartment owners, and the wealthy elite have been opposed to renters protections in Richmond. Renters protections’ make it more difficult for the maximum exploitation of renters, and the many families with children and the elderly, who are being forced out of their housing due to increasing rents, or no-cause evictions.

While announcing how many signatures were collected to repeal renters protections in Richmond, Tom Bannon, of the California Apartment Association is reported as saying; "Rent control has been a failed public policy and doesn't do what it's intended to do.”

In a statement by Eleanor Walden, former Berkeley Rent Stabilization member. “I want to congratulate Gayle McLaughlin and the Richmond Progressive Alliance for their efforts to establish rent stabilization in Richmond.”

“Rent control is about the right for decent housing for Richmond citizens who are poor and working class.  The greed of the landlords and the stupidity of those who accept their self serving line of argument obscures the facts: The unspoken underlying objection to controlled rent has to do with color and class bias in America. Small landlords who supply housing at rent controlled rates get a reasonable return on their investment or they can appeal to the Board for necessary increases upon justification. It is the corporate land holders who have the resources to mount opposition to decent housing legislation for their exaggerated profits. “

Feagley Realtors involved in attack on Richmond’s rent control

Jerry Feagley, owner of Feagley Realtors in Richmond, is involved in the attack against renters protections, including rent control and just cause eviction protections, for tenants. Feagley Realtors has three offices. Petitions have been available at his offices for landlords to sign whom are involved in the attack against renters protections.

During a discussion with Mr. Feagley on September 3rd, he stated that he is against renters protections. He also mentioned that he has spoken out against renters protections, at Richmond’s council meetings.

“I spoke out against renters protections at the Richmond council meetings,” said Feagley. “ I believe that rent control creates higher rents for tenants. The existing system works fine, so why fix it, if it is not broken?”

When I asked Mr. Feagley who is behind the petition to repeal renters protections in Richmond, he stated. “A number of property owners have organized together to come up with the petition against renters protections. I do not know if it will be successful, but I understand that they are very close to having collected enough signatures to repeal renters protections.”

Mr. Feagley did not mention how much money he may have chipped in for the attack against renters protections in Richmond. He also refused to name others involved in the attack against renters, or how many property owners actually are involved in the scheme. Additionally, he did not state why as a realtor, that he was concerned about higher rents for Richmond’s tenants.

Generally, realtors are totally against renters protections and just cause eviction protections, because they want properties to be emptied of its tenants, when a property is being sold to a buyer. Realtors receive more money when sellng a property emptied of its tenants.

Confusion and lack of transparency

In a recent report by the Contra Costa Times, it stated. “The source of the petition has remained in the shadows, renewing fears about big-money interests meddling in local politics and generating claims of misinformation being spread by paid signature gatherers to secure support.”

Other newspapers reported that it was a mystery as to who is behind the petition to repeal renters protections in Richmond.

According to reports, one person after another has also claimed that the people gathering signatures for the petition to repeal the renters protections have been telling lies to the public in an effort to trick them into signing the petition.

Richmond Public Library assistant Stacey Agnitsch stated that she was approached twice by petition gatherers whom she believed lied to her when they falsely claimed the petition would make rent control stronger.

Another resident named Eli Moore reported that a petitioner came to his door and claimed that the referendum was to prevent rents from going up because the city has voted to raise rents by 40%, which is not true.

In an email sent out by the Richmond Progressive Alliance on August 27, it states: We are reaching out to notify you of a misleading petition to repeal the new rent control ordinance in Richmond, CA. This petition is being circulated by paid professionals who are now earning $12.50 per signature, funded by an anonymous group.

If you have been contacted by one of these circulators, please disregard their fraudulent claims that the petition will support rent control. Not all of these circulators are making misleading or fraudulent claims, but we have received dozens of reports from residents and have cause to believe that up to half of their signatures are from supporters who have been otherwise fooled.

This petition will not support rent control, and the groups working to stabilize rents in Richmond do not endorse it. The community groups supporting rent control are listed at the bottom of this message.

This petition if validated will SUSPEND the ordinance for up to Nov. 2016, during which landlords will be free to unfairly raise rents and evict tenants without just cause.

It has also been reported that the signature gatherers have been getting payed as much as $20.00 a signature to repeal rent control in Richmond.

Lori Kossowsky, a tenant advocate said, “I know several signature gatherers who have declined to collect signatures to repeal rent control in Richmond because they believe that it is immoral to be involved in such an endeavor. I also believe that many signature gatherers lied and confused people, as a way to get them to sign the petition.”

It was reported that Tom Bannon, of the California Apartment Association said, "I'm disappointed if there was confusion among folks who were asked to sign, but I have not heard that this was a widespread problem.”

Lynda Carson may be reached at tenanttsrule [at] yahoo.com