Salinas wants to limit rent increases, a historic step for Monterey County and farm towns

As cities struggle to control housing costs, they are increasingly turning to rent caps and other measures to protect tenants. At least 29 cities in California have adopted rent control measures, according to a count by Tenants Together. Only one of those cities – Oxnard – is a farmworker community.

In the Bay Area, San Anselmo, Larkspur and Berkeley have measures on the ballot in November that would impose rent control or tighten existing policies. Concord, Antioch and Fairfax recently adopted rent caps, while attempts to put them on the ballot in Redwood City, Pittsburg and San Pablo failed.

Researchers have reached varying conclusions on this issue (PDF). Some studies conclude that rent controls reduce renter displacement in the short term, but discourage landlords from investing in maintenance and drive up rents in the long term. Other studies conclude that it has no effect on the housing market. Some studies conclude that people of color are more likely to benefit, while others conclude that white, wealthier people benefit.

While cities and counties in California have the authority to pass rent control laws, the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act prohibits them from enforcing rent controls on single-family homes, condominiums, properties built after 1995 and new renters. In November, voters will vote on Proposition 33, which would repeal that law and prevent the state from taking any action to restrict local rent controls in the future.

In Salinas, the ongoing pressure from residents on city leaders to enact renter protection measures is particularly striking, because the population there is largely made up of immigrants and language barriers and legal and economic status make it difficult to influence policy.

“There are all these barriers, things that work against them,” Juarez said. “They don’t have the privilege of having their complaints heard.”

For two years, Juarez has been helping educate farmworker families about city government and how to participate in public meetings. “One focus of this work is for them to recognize their power as residents, regardless of their documents, citizenship status and education,” he said. “If they live in Salinas, then they belong there.”

Salinas’ rent control plan would cap annual rent increases at 2.75% or 75% of the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower, and would apply to multifamily housing built before February 1, 1995, under state law.

The eviction regulation would strengthen protection for tenants who are evicted from their homes through no fault of their own, even if the owner wants to move in, take the property off the market or remodel it. In the case of a culpable eviction, the directive would require landlords to pay the equivalent of three months’ rent as relocation assistance, and if they put the property back on the market within five years, they would have to offer it to the evicted tenant first.

The third regulation would expand tenants’ protections against harassment by landlords and add prohibitions against actions such as failure to provide maintenance.

The Salinas City Council is expected to vote on adopting the guidelines by the end of September.