Item 33 - Rent Stabilization Ordinance and Just Cause Eviction Ordinance

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Rent Stabilization Ordinance and Just Cause Eviction Ordinance September 21, 2021 Page 8 2 1 2 6 2018, City Council held a work-study session on rent control, which included a presentation by Tracy Condon, Executive Director of the Santa Monica Rent Control Board. At the time of the presentation, the Santa Monica Rent Control Board consisted of 25 staff required to administer and enforce their City’s rent stabilization ordinance. Building upon this work-study and research that staff started in February 2018 regarding how to administer a rent stabilization ordinance; this resolution directs staff to conduct further study. Eviction Defense Fund In response to the pending expiration of the state COVID-19 emergency residential eviction moratorium on September 30, 2021, the Housing Ad Hoc Committee recommends to reallocate up to $300,000 of Revive Santa Ana funding to create an Eviction Defense Fund by entering into an Agreement with a consultant for the administration, management and implementation of the rent stabilization ordinance and just cause eviction ordinance. Specifically, staff will work with the City Attorney’s Office to enter into negotiations, execute agreements, and approve any other required actions necessary with various service providers, contractors, and sub-recipients, who will implement and manage the City’s rent stabilization ordinance and just cause eviction ordinance. This will be an interim solution to bridge the time between the effective date of the Ordinances and the full implementation of the Ordinances through the formation of a rent control board with full-time staff. The consultant will assist the City to transition the management of the rent control ordinance to the City’s full-time staff and rent control board. This solution will ensure the successful and efficient implementation of the Ordinances in the short-term with the least impact to City staff. The full long-term implementation of the Ordinance may require an amendment to the Rent Stabilization Ordinance for the collection of fees from owners and the hiring of at least 25 staff, based upon the model in the City of Santa Monica. The consultant who is selected by staff and the corresponding Agreement will not return to City Council for approval. However, staff have preliminarily identified RSG as one consultant with experience administering rent stabilization ordinances. RSG is currently administering two mobilehome park rent control ordinances. They have been administering the mobilehome park rent control ordinance for the City of El Monte and Carson. For the City of Carson, they have been directly administering their City’s ordinance for over four years. For the administration of their rent stabilization ordinance, the City of Carson calculates and publishes information on the CPI adjustment each year while RSG administers the right to a fair return process for landlords. RSG also assisted the City of Hollywood in the past when their City was re-evaluating their ordinance. Currently RSG is assisting the City of Southgate to evaluate the feasibility of creating a rent stabilization ordinance. RSG is locally based in the City of Irvine. The Agreement will be a full-service contract to ensure there are no issues or delays for tenants and owners after the initial approval of the Ordinances.