Broad support for tenant protections

Organizations from both unincorporated and incorporated county, coastside and Bayside, large cities and small towns have come together to advocate for tenants’ rights. Community organizations representing North Fair Oaks, San Mateo, Menlo Park, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, Burlingame and Pescadero are working alongside advocates for health care, people with disabilities, housing, farmworkers, the environment, legal services and more. The engagement with the most affected populations has been substantial. The coalition continues to expand as more organizations learn about how they can help address housing insecurity.

Proposed by county Supervisors Noelia Corzo and Warren Slocum, the county’s tenant protection ordinance would affect tenants in unincorporated San Mateo County and lead the way for other jurisdictions. Specifically, the ordinance would bar landlord harassment; provide just cause for eviction protections for tenants excluded from state law; close legal loopholes; provide additional protections for tenants who are elderly, have a disability, are terminally ill, or have minor children; and give tenants additional legal tools to enforce their rights. All of these protections have been implemented in other communities throughout the Bay Area.

Though the TPO has been sent back to county staff for further revisions, the need for these protections — and the list of supporters — is only growing. To learn more about the TPO and who supports it, view this fact sheet from Supervisor Corzo’s office: tinyurl.com/TPOFacts.

Karen Grove

Menlo Park