The November 2016 national election results were a shock to many, but an additional blow was felt by renters and their supporters in San Mateo County when Measures Q and R failed to bring about protections from unstoppable rent increases and unjust evictions.
That election year saw an overwhelming amount of money come into our county from state and national Realtor and landlord organizations to defeat the measures. In mailers and commercials, the California Apartment Association and San Mateo County Association of Realtors portrayed owners of apartment buildings as poor mom-and-pop investors and renters as criminals and squatters to be feared. Homeowners were smothered in propaganda and persuaded that the best option was to reject the measures and instead build a lot of affordable housing. The landlord and Realtor organizations swore to actively work with and support local cities to get affordable housing, and councilmembers promised that affordable housing would be their number one priority, if only renter protections were defeated at the ballot box.
Well, over a year later, renters not only have lost hope in gaining affordable housing, but our elected representatives cynically maintain that this is the only solution to our crisis. They know better, yet they celebrate construction that allocates paltry percentages of affordable units. Many align themselves with residents who want neither renter protections nor affordable housing. Renters are routinely ignored and protections never agendized; the numbers of displaced people go uncounted; Latino and black communities are decimated; grassroots housing groups are marginalized; and county supervisors and members of city councils continue to open their doors to the special interests, while closing them in the faces of renters when it comes to immediate remedies.
On Sept. 25, more than 60 renters filled a City Council meeting in Redwood City. Thirty people turned in slips to speak. Then-mayor John Seybert announced that only 15 minutes would be allowed in total, leaving each person 30 seconds to present their comments. In the end, most of the renters gave up their time so that five speakers spoke for three minutes apiece. The fact that 30 residents of Redwood City wanted to attend and speak at a council meeting should be cause for celebration of how we want our local democracy to work. Instead, these people were silenced, rejected and dismissed by their own elected officials.
One San Mateo, a community group of renters, and their supporters have struggled to gain renter protections. They have worked diligently to keep renters from losing their homes, and gained nothing from their City Council in the way of effective measures to stop the bleeding of displacement. In October 2017, OSM held a candidates forum, and more than 100 people attended to ask the candidates about their views on housing and renter protections — a large, visible representation of the community’s ongoing concerns.
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In Burlingame, advocates have pleaded for years for renter protections to be put on the agenda so a dialog can begin. Instead, they have been met with silence, avoidance and inaction. In fact, when Measure R was placed on the ballot, the council unanimously wrote the argument against it, ignoring their own commissioned report that negated almost all their arguments. After three years of waiting, the promised affordable housing in Parking Lot F remains stalled and its delays have been shrouded in mystery. Incredibly, at a study session, two councilmembers asked aloud how a homeowner could sell their home, shelter their assets and qualify for affordable housing. There are no affordable units at all in Burlingame, and a 30-year old law prevents the city from requiring affordable units in new construction. The city only now is starting to do outreach to residents to inform them about what affordable housing is, and why it is needed.
Over a year later, not one city in the county has seriously discussed, let alone passed a just cause eviction ordinance. Not one city, or the county, has attempted to count the displacement or stop the enormous rent increases. Working people, the elderly, and children remain in unstable housing, and have no protections or representation. Renters are embittered and disgusted by local government.
Homeowners who have high property taxes and mortgages are beginning to understand how the new federal tax plan may affect their pocketbooks. Sadly, some may lose their homes and be displaced. Renters know well the realities of housing insecurity; they also know how it is to be disrespected and dismissed by their own elected leaders.
In this new year, we need leaders who are independent, respectful of people more than money, with foresight, and the guts to do the right thing. Otherwise, as Will Rogers once said, “Last year we said, ‘things can’t go on like this,’ and they didn’t, they got worse.”
Cynthia Cornell is a member of Housing for All Burlingame.
The cost of living is going up, because of gentrification and our boneheaded planners building offices and increasing the property values. Rent control isn't going to stop these housing bubble and I'm so sick of too many people moving to our town, I hate how they ruined or residential streets with little parking in front of our houses.The best solution to stop property values from going up, is to stop gentrification and tell city council, we don't want anymore office redevelopment, the bubble has to burst.
Eventually the economy will tank and all these expensive houses will be affordable again. SALT will do a lot to in the long run, lower housing prices. Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon control us all. We are so screwed. At their mercy.
Cynthia's rant really shows how naive she is about rent control. The voters rejected rent control because when presented with the facts, they chose to protect their city from bad public policy rather than burden housing providers and the residents any further. The voters rejected rent control because they didn't want an already stressed housing market to get worse, they didn't want the existing housing to deteriorate any further and they didn't want to discourage the development of new housing. Cynthia, the voters rejected rent control because when they were presented with an ACCURATE picture of what this policy will do they made the obvious decision to say no. I would suggest you channel that energy into something useful. Try encouraging the development of more affordable housing. Nimbys are your enemy, they are pushing prices up. Focus your anger on them, not the Council. instead of vilifying the Council, support their efforts to build.
Cindy Cornell may want to take a moment to read the articles about what is in the SMDJ about affordable housing. In addition to the Measure K funds which she repeatedly and completely avoids to comment on she must have missed these 2 recent articles: http://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/burlingame-aims-at-affordable-housing/article_b2a7cdb0-f10b-11e7-abaf-47f0430a4f7e.html http://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/affordable-housing-at-bay-meadows-ok-d/article_751593da-f0fa-11e7-a87f-ff76895292ef.html There are plenty of other examples to draw upon. Just look at all the bills that were passed last year at the state level to help address the issue including new transfer fees when real estate is sold -- Those fees are directed solely at the housing crisis. So Ms. Cornell, it is not just as you state that nothing has been or is being done. Beginning January 1 of this year there is a new way to legally deal with anxiety. Try it if you will, it may just level out your one sided view that private property should not be allowed for housing. That's it Cindy, take a deep breath and know even those nasty corporate owners you continually bash are the very one's whose work is found in most union pension, teachers pensions, and foundation portfolios that fund your fellow activists along with the retirement dollars of folks just like you.
The author is a known extremist and completely cynical. She fails to recognize that the State legislature had a complete shift last legislative year and made housing priority #1 for the STATE. That is why a historic housing package was passed and ultimately signed by the Governor. Many of these bills were championed by our local electeds in San Mateo County. Instead of saying “thank you,” the author decided it’s better to throw another tantrum, blame others, and create more unfounded hysteria to continue her and her allies’ quest for government regulations on housing. Ungrateful.
Yes, this is another example that proves how this author and her known allies only care about one thing: rent control at all costs. Who cares about real solutions on housing affordability and availability that can actually help ALL people with varying incomes and demographic backgrounds? Unless it’s rent control and eviction related policies, nothing else matters.
@SMDAILYJOURNAL @Cynthia Cornell @Seasoned Observer @Christopher Conway Expansion of this topic would be useful for our electorate. The positions by the author and the 2 respondees set the ground for enlightening debate. Perhaps the ever progressive Dorothy Dimitre could side w the author to even the teams and SMJ create a virtual debate octagon match to throw light on the subject from passionate opinions articulated from both sides. GOAL: relevant info-tainment in the best tradition of NEWS/TALK (the way KGO AM 810 USED to be). I'll participate by engaging w equally interested citizens. Go for it!
It's not as if the rent control advocates are lacking money or resources in their efforts to impose a very burdensome and pernicious regulatory framework on property owners in these communities. They operated well funded campaigns but at the end of the day the voters agreed with the arguments that taking property from one group of people, many who are small "mom and pop" investors, is not the right approach to solving this problem. It is unfortunate that rent control advocates approach this problem so myopically. Where are their voices when large commercial projects, that will bring thousands of jobs in this area, are proposed? That is the underlying problem.
I think Cynthia ignores the local fight against rent control and control over private property by government. There are many individuals in the community that voted, last time I checked, large corporations can't vote. There are many in our community that despise the thought of rent control and will fight it tooth and nail. If you want rent control in San Mateo County you will be opposed as it is anti-American and socialistic. Cynthia, I don't expect you to give up, just know your opposition will never give up either. No matter how many times you and your socialized housing activists push rent control, expect a large contingent in your community to make sure it doesn't see the light of day.
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(10) comments
The latest Census shows the Hispanic population is INCREASING in San Mateo. Please base your rants on facts, Cynthia.
The cost of living is going up, because of gentrification and our boneheaded planners building offices and increasing the property values. Rent control isn't going to stop these housing bubble and I'm so sick of too many people moving to our town, I hate how they ruined or residential streets with little parking in front of our houses.The best solution to stop property values from going up, is to stop gentrification and tell city council, we don't want anymore office redevelopment, the bubble has to burst.
Exactly!
Eventually the economy will tank and all these expensive houses will be affordable again. SALT will do a lot to in the long run, lower housing prices. Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon control us all. We are so screwed. At their mercy.
Cynthia's rant really shows how naive she is about rent control. The voters rejected rent control because when presented with the facts, they chose to protect their city from bad public policy rather than burden housing providers and the residents any further. The voters rejected rent control because they didn't want an already stressed housing market to get worse, they didn't want the existing housing to deteriorate any further and they didn't want to discourage the development of new housing. Cynthia, the voters rejected rent control because when they were presented with an ACCURATE picture of what this policy will do they made the obvious decision to say no. I would suggest you channel that energy into something useful. Try encouraging the development of more affordable housing. Nimbys are your enemy, they are pushing prices up. Focus your anger on them, not the Council. instead of vilifying the Council, support their efforts to build.
Cindy Cornell may want to take a moment to read the articles about what is in the SMDJ about affordable housing. In addition to the Measure K funds which she repeatedly and completely avoids to comment on she must have missed these 2 recent articles:
http://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/burlingame-aims-at-affordable-housing/article_b2a7cdb0-f10b-11e7-abaf-47f0430a4f7e.html
http://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/affordable-housing-at-bay-meadows-ok-d/article_751593da-f0fa-11e7-a87f-ff76895292ef.html
There are plenty of other examples to draw upon. Just look at all the bills that were passed last year at the state level to help address the issue including new transfer fees when real estate is sold -- Those fees are directed solely at the housing crisis.
So Ms. Cornell, it is not just as you state that nothing has been or is being done. Beginning January 1 of this year there is a new way to legally deal with anxiety. Try it if you will, it may just level out your one sided view that private property should not be allowed for housing. That's it Cindy, take a deep breath and know even those nasty corporate owners you continually bash are the very one's whose work is found in most union pension, teachers pensions, and foundation portfolios that fund your fellow activists along with the retirement dollars of folks just like you.
The author is a known extremist and completely cynical. She fails to recognize that the State legislature had a complete shift last legislative year and made housing priority #1 for the STATE. That is why a historic housing package was passed and ultimately signed by the Governor. Many of these bills were championed by our local electeds in San Mateo County. Instead of saying “thank you,” the author decided it’s better to throw another tantrum, blame others, and create more unfounded hysteria to continue her and her allies’ quest for government regulations on housing. Ungrateful.
Yes, this is another example that proves how this author and her known allies only care about one thing: rent control at all costs. Who cares about real solutions on housing affordability and availability that can actually help ALL people with varying incomes and demographic backgrounds? Unless it’s rent control and eviction related policies, nothing else matters.
@SMDAILYJOURNAL @Cynthia Cornell @Seasoned Observer @Christopher Conway Expansion of this topic would be useful for our electorate. The positions by the author and the 2 respondees set the ground for enlightening debate. Perhaps the ever progressive Dorothy Dimitre could side w the author to even the teams and SMJ create a virtual debate octagon match to throw light on the subject from passionate opinions articulated from both sides. GOAL: relevant info-tainment in the best tradition of NEWS/TALK (the way KGO AM 810 USED to be).
I'll participate by engaging w equally interested citizens. Go for it!
It's not as if the rent control advocates are lacking money or resources in their efforts to impose a very burdensome and pernicious regulatory framework on property owners in these communities. They operated well funded campaigns but at the end of the day the voters agreed with the arguments that taking property from one group of people, many who are small "mom and pop" investors, is not the right approach to solving this problem. It is unfortunate that rent control advocates approach this problem so myopically. Where are their voices when large commercial projects, that will bring thousands of jobs in this area, are proposed? That is the underlying problem.
I think Cynthia ignores the local fight against rent control and control over private property by government. There are many individuals in the community that voted, last time I checked, large corporations can't vote. There are many in our community that despise the thought of rent control and will fight it tooth and nail. If you want rent control in San Mateo County you will be opposed as it is anti-American and socialistic. Cynthia, I don't expect you to give up, just know your opposition will never give up either. No matter how many times you and your socialized housing activists push rent control, expect a large contingent in your community to make sure it doesn't see the light of day.
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