San Mateo takes steps toward tenant relocation help

Setting aside $50,000 from the city’s designated housing fund balance to be able to advance money to tenants in situations in which landlords are being uncooperative and fining those who don’t comply with the rules up to $10,000 were also weighed.

One of several tenant protection policies the council considered in September, the set of landlord obligations the council considered this week was largely modeled after an ordinance adopted by San Mateo County officials, explained Christine Civiletti, the city’s code enforcement manager. But in proposing the formation of an appeals board, a provision prohibiting landlords from retaliating against residents exercising their rights and setting aside city funds to advance relocation payments, the rules officials weighed this week differed from those set by the county, she said.

Noting the rules aimed to support some of the city’s most vulnerable residents, Deputy Mayor Maureen Freschet voiced support for ensuring the policy not only protect tenants facing relocation but also deter landlords from allowing their units to become unsafe. Freschet echoed concerns raised by several residents at the meeting about relocating tenants even within the proposed 10-mile radius, noting the change could take them far away from schools and jobs.

“This is … a public health and safety issue,” she said. “I think we need to create penalties that really are a deterrent.”

San Mateo resident Esther Conrad was among several residents who urged officials to strengthen the rules to prevent living conditions like those residents of an apartment building at 314 E. Poplar Ave. endured as they lived in units overrun with bugs and other issues, an issue she said came to light in the summer of 2017. Conrad wasn’t convinced a 10-mile radius was adequate in protecting tenants against the effects of such abuses, and noted that temporarily housing a tenant in a hotel or motel until a safe unit can be made available can create other costs for a family.

“Clearly, this is an ongoing problem and action is needed to deter such abuses and to protect the most vulnerable,” she said, emphasizing the policies are aimed at penalizing slumlords, not landlords. “This is not the kind of behavior we want in our community.”

Councilman Rick Bonilla was among the councilmembers who expressed concern that a 10-mile radius for temporary relocations may allow landlords to place tenants too far away from the units they were leasing. In voicing support for considering a requirement that landlords find a unit within five miles of their original unit or in a neighboring city, Bonilla noted 10 miles may be a long distance for those who may not have cars. Though Bonilla voiced support for enacting many of the proposed rules, he acknowledged they should be communicated clearly with landlords when they are adopted.

“I think that when or if we do initiate this policy … that property owners should be made aware so that they know what they need to avoid,” he said.

anna@smdailyjournal.com

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