Apr 14, 2017 - Good cause is defined as one or more of the good causes listed in section 17.23.1230(B) of the staffs dra
COUNCIL AGENDA: 04/18/2017 ITEM: 4.3
CITY OF
Memorandum CAPITAL OF SILICON VALLEY
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Councilmember Arenas Councilmember Jimenez DATE: April 14,2017
SUBJECT: Actions Related to Tenant Protection Ordinance. APPROVED
DATE: APRIL 14,2017
RECOMMENDATION 1.
R e c o m m e n d t h e a d o p t i o n o f S t a f f Policy A l t e r n a t i v e # 2 : Implement an Ordinance with
Just Cause Eviction Requirements with automatic enrollment for all tenants, a n d t o n o t a d o p t S t a f f s R e c o m m e n d a t i o n N u m b e r 1 in i t s M e m o r a n d u m d a t e d April 7 , 2 0 1 7 . 2.
A d o p t S t a f f R e c o m m e n d a t i o n s N u m b e r 2 , 3 , a n d 4 in t h e M e m o r a n d u m o f April 7 , 2 0 1 7
3.
P e n d i n g City A t t o r n e y A p p r o v a l , a d o p t a n i n t e r i m u r g e n c y o r d i n a n c e p r o v i d i n g g o o d c a u s e p r o t e c t i o n s f o r all t e n a n t s in S a n J o s e . S u c h u r g e n c y o r d i n a n c e will p r o v i d e t h a t NO landlord shall take action to terminate any tenancy, including but not limited to making a demand for possession of a rental unit, threatening to terminate a tenancy e i t h e r o r a l l y o r in w r i t i n g , s e r v i n g a n y n o t i c e t o q u i t o r a n y e v i c t i o n n o t i c e , b r i n g i n g a n y action to recover possession, or be granted recovery of possession unless such landlord c a n d e m o n s t r a t e g o o d c a u s e f o r e v i c t i o n . G o o d c a u s e is d e f i n e d a s o n e o r m o r e o f t h e g o o d c a u s e s l i s t e d in s e c t i o n 1 7 . 2 3 . 1 2 3 0 ( B ) o f t h e s t a f f s d r a f t o r d i n a n c e .
BACKGROUND
The Housing Department developed the Tenant Protection Ordinance based on direction by the City C o u n c i l a t i t s m e e t i n g o f April 1 9 , 2 0 1 6 . S i n c e t h a t t i m e , n e w e v i d e n c e h a s c o m e t o l i g h t that calls for the Council to revisit that decision. As o f t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e y e a r , 5 5 n o c a u s e e v i c t i o n s h a v e b e e n g i v e n b y l a n d l o r d s in S a n J o s e .
COUNCIL AGENDA: 04/18/2017 ITEM: 4.3
That equates roughly to a no-cause eviction every other day. The displacement of several h u n d r e d o r m o r e f a m i l i e s a y e a r w i t h o u t c a u s e is a n u n b e a r a b l e a n d u n n e c e s s a r y h a r d s h i p f o r our families and our communities. The recent displacement of hundreds of tenants due to the t r a g i c f l o o d i n g in S a n J o s e e x e m p l i f i e s h o w c a t a s t r o p h i c i t is t o l o s e o n e ' s h o m e a n d s t a b i l i t y a t a moment's notice. O n April 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 a l a r g e m a j o r i t y o f t h e H o u s i n g & C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t C o m m i s s i o n v o t e d t o i n s t i t u t e a full j u s t c a u s e o r d i n a n c e w i t h a u t o m a t i c e n r o l l m e n t a c r o s s t h e City. T h i s is r e s o u n d i n g e v i d e n c e t h a t t h e b r o a d e r c o m m u n i t y is in f a v o r o f j u s t c a u s e .
-
A s s t a t e d in t h e H o u s i n g D e p a r t m e n t ' s M e m o r a n d u m d a t e d April 7 , 2 0 1 7 t h e s c o p e o f t h i s o r d i n a n c e w o u l d a p p l y t o 9 7 , 9 0 1 u n i t s , if e a c h u n i t h a s a t l e a s t 3 r e s i d e n t s t h i s o r d i n a n c e w o u l d p r o t e c t n e a r l y 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 i n d i v i d u a l s . T h i s is a p p r o x i m a t e l y 3 0 % o f S a n J o s e ' s p o p u l a t i o n . Full j u s t c a u s e p r o t e c t i o n f o r t e n a n t s w o u l d h e i p c r e a t e a m o r e le ve l p l a y i n g f i e l d f o r r e n t e r s c a u g h t in o u r C i t y ' s h o u s i n g crisis. C o m b i n e d w i t h a s t r o n g Ellis A c t O r d i n a n c e , t h e City Council c a n e n a c t p o l i c i e s t o h e l p p r e s e r v e t h e s t a b i l i t y a n d d i v e r s i t y o f o u r c o m m u n i t i e s . It is i m p o r t a n t t o n o t e t h a t j u s t c a u s e d o e s n o t h i n d e r t h e e v i c t i o n p r o c e s s . L a n d l o r d s will h a v e t h e s a m e r i g h t s t o e v i c t t e n a n t s w h o v i o l a t e l e a s e a g r e e m e n t s , fail t o p a y r e n t , o r w h o s e a c t i o n s o r behavior meet the standard of just cause. T h i s O r d i n a n c e s h o u l d b e i m p l e m e n t e d in s u c h a w a y a s t o e n s u r e t h a t l a n d l o r d s a r e n o t p e r m i t t e d t o h a v e a w i n d o w t o i s s u e a s u r g e o f n o c a u s e e v i c t i o n s a s h a p p e n e d in M o u n t a i n V i e w a f t e r t h e a d o p t i o n o f M e a s u r e V. in a d d i t i o n , a n o r d i n a n c e w i t h o u t a n e n r o l l m e n t p r o c e s s will a l s o b e l e s s e x p e n s i v e a n d b u r d e n s o m e t o a d m i n i s t e r a s t h e p r o t e c t i o n s a r e a u t o m a t i c a l l y a p p l i e d t o all t e n a n t s .
