A group of Redwood City civic leaders submitted thousands of signatures this week to place a measure on the November ballot that would impose strict rent caps and charge landlords annual fees to fund a tenant protection program.
The proposed “Fair and Affordable Housing Ordinance” would cap annual rent increases at 5%, or 60% of the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower, according to organizers. It would also require landlords to give relocation payments for no-fault evictions and create a rent stabilization and tenant protection program funded through an annual per-unit fee landlords must pay.
The measure would apply to all buildings built before 1995, and it has been roundly criticized by landlord groups while being widely praised by tenant and faith groups in the city. A similar effort failed to get enough signatures to get on the ballot in 2024, so this time around organizers said they made sure to gather more than needed…