Aliano, Obringer tackle rent issues on new panel
Because the City Council wants to “dive deep” into rent issues, Concord Mayor Carlyn Obringer appointed Councilman Dominic Aliano to join her on a new ad hoc rent committee at the Jan. 8 meeting.
The committee will meet for up to six months to review state and local requirements regarding tenant/landlord responsibilities and existing housing needs within the city. The committee will then propose rental housing objectives and strategies for the full council to consider.
At the Dec. 11 meeting, all five council members supported forming the committee. Councilman Edi Birsan, who has long advocated for some form of rent control, was pleased with his colleagues’ “evolution in this area.”
Many speakers at the Jan. 8 meeting advocated for Aliano on the committee because he represents the Monument, with its high ratio of rental units. Aliano, who joined the council last month, sought to clarify the committee’s course.
“We need to make sure that moving forward, we identify what we’re trying to get at here – the high cost of rents and landlords abusing their position when it comes to increasing rents outrageously,” he said at the Dec. 11 meeting.
Several residents wanted the council to create a moratorium on rent increases of more than 3 percent as well as no cause evictions while the committee meets. Birsan asked the council to consider the item on a future agenda, but the members did not agree. Audience members vocalized protests as Obringer adjourned the Jan. 8 meeting.
Concord resident Blaine Carter, who owns a four-plex on Carleton Drive, says he has attended all city meetings about rental housing and remains adamantly against any kind of rent control.
“I was an econ major in college,” he noted. “When we talked about government price controls and how ineffective price controls are, rent control was always the case study that was used. Rent control is a failed economic policy.”
He blames outside activists for creating a furor over a housing crisis and high rent hikes, which he calls “the natural ebb and flow” of supply and demand. “Concord has lower rents than any city around us. Why are they coming here?” he said of the activists. “Because they were invited. They see an opportunity, and they sense vulnerability in the City Council.”
Raise the Roof and Monument Impact are among the groups supporting rent control and “just cause” eviction policies in Concord. The organizations failed to return calls seeking comment for this article.
Councilman Tim McGallian said the committee will provide the opportunity “to have in-depth conversations with all side and really dive deep on a number of issues.” He said there is “no doubt” something needs to be done to protect tenants.
“The goal is to try to find the perfect solution,” McGallian said. “There are so many different rent stabilization policies – we’re trying to figure out what is appropriate for Concord.”
Sreenivas Ramireddy, who co-owns more than 40 rental units in Concord, believes the demand for housing is diminishing. “The crisis is somewhat over,” he told the Pioneer last week. “When we had a vacancy in Concord, we used to get a lot of applicants. I’ve had a vacancy for almost two weeks, and so far not anybody has even called.”
Both Carter and Ramireddy urge the city to focus on approving more housing and maintaining the Residential Rent Review Program, which they say is working. “We need to take a little more time and encourage the tenant advocates to go to that program if there are any outrageous increase in rents,” Ramireddy said.
Ramireddy supports the committee gathering current market data as well as economic forecasts. “They should also create a process to verify allegations of unfair evictions and outrageous rent increases. They should explore reasonable and equitable policies to protect renters and property owners – both.”
Birsan said he wants any city policy to protect “the little guy” landlords. “They are the ones who know the neighborhoods. They’re there for their tenants and trying to do good service,” he said at the Dec. 11 meeting.
At that meeting, Obringer expressed frustration about identifying what she called “the 1 percent” of “bad apple” landlords. However, she is confident the city is on the right track.
“The folks who can help us with a solution are sitting in this room,” she said. “It’s going to take all sides sitting down at the table – council members, tenants rights advocates as well as those who represent the apartment owners – to really hammer out a solution that works best for Concord.”
Bev Britton
Bev Britton graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of North Dakota and moved to the Bay Area with her soon-to-be husband Jim in 1986. She was features editor at the Contra Costa Times in Walnut Creek before becoming managing editor of the Contra Costa Sun in Lafayette in 1995. She retired from newsrooms in 2001, but an ad for the Clayton Pioneer drew her back in. The family moved to Lake Wildwood in the Gold Country a few years ago - but working at the Pioneer keeps her in touch with her old neighborhoods in Concord and Clayton.