Pacifica rent control Measure C fails to pass

Pacifica rent control Measure C fails to pass

By Lynda Carson - November 8, 2017

On November 7, 2017, the greedy landlords, realtors and notorious members of the California Apartment Association defeated a renter protection measure needed to stabilize the communities in Pacifica.

Measure C, the rent stabilization and just cause eviction protections measure failed to pass in Pacifica after the realtors, landlords, and California Apartment Association spent a fortune to frighten the public with false horror stories, about the much needed renter protections.

With 23,963 registered voters in Pacifica and 8,283 ballots cast, Measure C failed to pass, with 37.97% of the votes for Measure C, and 62.03% votes against Measure C.

Battle Over Renter Protections In Pacifica

At an April 10, Pacifica City Council meeting regarding a proposal for renter protections, Bridget Duffy of Pacifica, “stated that she read an inflammatory letter and she felt much of it was not true. She stated that many of the people in the room against rent control were not from Pacifica. She stated that when the Beach Coalition lady stepped down there was a smattering of applause but most true Pacificans love their beach and their Beach Coalition. She stated that having the real estate industry show up and be against rent control was like having the defense industry be against peace. She stated that these are the profiteers. She was glad this was recorded because they were profiting on our lives, and working people who failed to get enough to buy something were inherently undeserving of a stable life. She felt stabilizing housing was only going to benefit our community economically in every way. She stated that we have lost good families in Pacifica to this rent siege we have been under and she felt this was a humanitarian crisis, mentioning vacant trailers where people were evicted and these people were the residents.”

Chris Logan, Pacifica, “stated he loves living in Pacifica. He stated that he was a renter and had renter’s rights. He stated that he had a right to work two jobs in order to make sure he paid his rent, right to save money, to not spend money frivolously, go to school, talk to his landlord as he traded services for keeping his rent lower and the right to move to a crappy area. He did not have a constitutional right to live where he wants to live, stating that he can’t afford to live in France but he can afford to live in Pacifica and had a right to have a roommate to afford the rent. He didn’t think these rights have been addressed. He stated his friend couldn’t come and she wanted him to say she was opposed to rent control. She thought it doesn’t need control.”

Carolyn Jaramillo, Pacifica, “stated she has lived in Pacifica for 30 years and was a local constituent. She believes housing was a human right. She was speaking for the proposed ordinance, which means landlords must have a just reason to evict a tenant and ensures that landlords cannot evict a renter as they can now to raise the rent. She mentioned some of reasons allowable to evict that are guaranteed under the Ellis Act. She stated that only renters covered by the proposed rent stabilization ordinance would be covered by the just cause provision. She stated that opponents of this ordinance were spending a great deal of money to claim that the laws destroy local communities and make it impossible to get rid of bad tenants who harass neighbors and commit crimes but this only engenders fear and hatred in our community and our community is destroyed by well funded outsiders who were only interested in preserving their predatory practices of raising rents as high as they want. She applauded their goals of connected, healthy and compassionate community, adding that to achieve them, they must protect renters with an interim ordinance.”

Roy Stotts, Pacifica, “stated that he and his wife have lived in Pacifica for over 40 years and invested here. They turned individual properties and turned them into two apartment buildings and it was their retirement, otherwise he was reduced to social security and that pays little. He stated that they had the misfortune of experiencing rent control in San Francisco when they bought property in 1978 and in 1979 they were lied to. They were planning to turn it around in five years but it took them 25 years. He stated that the rents went up. He stated that many of the adjacent properties were bought by corporations and they will end up with a Kimco like company that have the deep pockets to wait this out. He asked them to look at Massachusetts which outlawed rent control for every city and they have one of the lowest rates for rent in the entire northeastern seaboard.”

Public records reveal that landlord Roy Stotts of Pacifica, contributed at least $6,000 to defeat the reasonable renter protections that people were trying to pass in Pacifica, and that Stotts owns a number of properties in Pacifica.

California Apartment Association Meddles In The Affairs Of Pacifica

It was during May of 2017, that the California Apartment Association (CAA) meddled in the affairs of Pacifica with a petition that prevented a temporary rent control measure from going into effect.

Pacifica Coalition for Housing Equality, No On C, Sponsored By San Mateo County Association of Realtors, With Major Funding By National Association of Realtors.

The no on Measure C campaign, is known as the Pacifica Coalition for Housing Equality, sponsored by the San Mateo County Association of Realtors (SAMCAR), with major funding from the National Association of Realtors.

In June of 2017, the National Association of Realtors had $516,100 in their account.

As of September 30, 2017, the California Apartment Association-Political Action Committee had $1,314,840 in its account.

During June of 2017, the California Apartment Association - Independent Expenditure Committee, had $356,010 in its account.

And during June of 2017, the California Apartment Association - Issues Committee, had $29,321 in its account.

It was on May 5, 2017, that the The California Apartment Association (CAA), announced that it is suspending its legal challenges in court against the City of Richmond and Mountain View, and the renter protection ordinances known as Measure L and Measure V, that were passed into law by the voters during November 2016.

As recent as November 6, 2017, after meddling in the affairs of the City of Anaheim, the CAA was bragging on its website that it sabotaged any efforts to have rent control in that city.

A statewide ballot initiative was reportedly filed on Monday, October 23, 2017, which seeks to repeal the dreaded Costa-Hawkins Rental Act. Supporters of the initiative to repeal the draconian Costa-Hawkins Rental Act must gather 366,000 valid signatures no later than June, 28, 2018, for the anti-eviction measure to qualify for the ballot in November 2018.

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

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