On Tuesday, March 26, the San Anselmo Town Council passed a rent stabilization ordinance establishing how much landlords can raise rent on rental properties. In response, residents collected signatures to initiate a referendum on the issue. The referendum will allow residents to strike down or support the passage of the ordinance by voting.
Prior to the passage of the March 26 rent stabilization ordinance, San Anselmo landlords could raise or lower rents at their discretion, as long as such changes stayed consistent with the terms of their rental contracts. The rent stabilization ordinance limits these rent increases. San Anselmo residents express conflicting views on the ordinance, and the referendum Tuesday, November 5, will settle the matter.
Curt Ries, a San Anselmo renter, opposes the referendum. In his opinion, proponents of the referendum seek to overturn the passage of the town ordinance.
“I believe it is pretty much exclusively landlords that are behind [the referendum]. They are trying to tell people this is just to get it on the ballot. The idea is that everyone should have the right to vote on this, but they are only doing it to try and overturn the rent control that was passed by the Town Council,” Ries said.
Ries participates in local initiatives to adopt Just Cause eviction ordinances in San Anselmo. The Just Cause ordinance would prohibit a landlord from evicting elderly, disabled, or terminally ill tenants. Ries, a signatory to the proposed ordinance, created it with local social justice groups, including the Marin Democratic Socialists of America, of which he is the co-chair.
San Anselmo Vice Mayor Tarrell Kullaway voted in favor of the rent stabilization ordinance. Kullaway says the town council has yet to consider enacting the Just Cause ordinance.
“San Anselmo only passed rent control. It did not pass Just Cause. That is the second part of the package we will be discussing at the council in the future,” Kullaway said.
San Anselmo Town Council member Brian Colbert voted against the rent stabilization ordinance. Colbert believes proposing rent stabilization ordinances would deter landlords from entering the rental market, creating rental shortages for tenants seeking housing.
“My thoughts on rental policy are informed by my direct personal experiences as a renter. When looking for a place to live in New York City and San Francisco, the number of retail units available to me and my family was materially curtailed due to the number of apartments under rent control,” Colbert said.
According to Colbert, local government should reflect the will of the people. For this reason, he supports a public referendum that would present the issue of rent stabilization to town residents.
“I approach this issue with humility, and the belief that the government works best when it listens to the people,” Colbert said. “[Currently,] two towns in Marin are [considering a referendum for] rent control this year, and I think it is appropriate for this contentious issue to be decided by the voters.”
To ensure San Anselmo residents could speak openly about their policy views, San Anselmo Town Manager Dave Donery facilitated a public debate about the issue.
“We took a lot of time to allow for community input… We had a meeting to talk about Just Cause evictions and rent stabilization for just tenants and another one for just landlords. We had a council public hearing so people who came in could give their opinion there,” Donery said.
Donery also provided members of the Town Council with information that helped them choose their position on the rent stabilization policy. Donery describes himself as an “agnostic” with respect to rent stabilization, as his role as Town Manager depends on his neutrality on local issues.
San Anselmo community members have mixed opinions on the issue of rent control. For this reason, residents will decide whether rent stabilization ordinances will take effect during the upcoming election in November.
