The Santa Monica Rent Control Board is looking for new ideas to address a growing problem with evictions caused by a combination of factors including expired pandemic protections, the economic fallout of multiple labor strikes and increasing inflation.
While the Board has its own attorney’s, it does not have the ability to make new laws for the City and in an effort to strengthen Santa Monica’s existing Tenant Protection Ordinance, the Board asked for the City Attorney to brainstorm ideas at their Nov. 9 meeting.
Representing the City Attorney’s Office Consumer Protection Unit, Chief Deputy City Attorney Romy Ganschow and Deputy City Attorney Denise McGranahan presented a detailed plan to curb evictions with new additions to local rules.
Specifically created to target the causes of evictions in a post-pandemic world, the proposals aim to address a variety of evictions, including evictions due to small rental debts and unpermitted work, but also expand the standards for permanent relocation fees and buyout ordinances.
The attorney’s said some landlords have manipulated tenants into creating their own cause for eviction through the permit process for work done in a unit.
“The landlord is the only one who can pull a permit in the city. And we have seen cases – and we have one right now, where the landlord said, ‘You need to pull a permit to do this, but we’re not helping you.’ And the whole reason for doing that is to get rid of the tenant. So we want to prevent those types of evictions,” said McGranahan.
The most interesting proposal is their request to add “housing status” as a protected status under the Santa Monica Housing Discrimination Code, hoping to deter evictions if the tenant has either just left the streets, or could return post-eviction. According to the City Attorney’s office “housing status” qualifies as “currently or formerly experiencing homelessness, currently or formerly living in transitional, temporary, or shelter housing, or lacking a residential rental housing history.”
“Housing status is critical to add as a protected class because people who are unhoused or were formerly unhoused or don’t have rental history or don’t … live in transitional or temporary shelters. They don’t have the track record that landlords require,” said McGranahan.
Most of these proposals are modeled not only to target eviction, but also as homelessness prevention efforts. By limiting evictions for non-payment of rent less than one-month’s rent, and making “housing status” a protected stance, the City Attorney’s office is looking to tackle the most pressing issues facing the city.
“I can’t think of a more better time that we need something like this, with so many people experiencing homelessness right now, with the number of evictions that are taking place, it’s going to be really hard for the people that have been evicted to regain housing and get their feet back on solid ground,” said Vice Chair Ericka Lesley.
The presentation received positive feedback from the board and the overall consensus was for more joint efforts between the City and Rent Control Board.
“I think we’ve always wished that this agency could have an active relationship, especially when it comes to issues of tenant protections, tenant harassment, and interaction and recommendations, to the city council ... We really do appreciate the opportunity to partner, maybe at an even deeper level … We invite you to come back early and often,” said Chair Anastasia Foster.
Antoinette Damico, Daily Press intern
