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Recommendation to receive and file the 2018 Report on Tenant Assistance Policies;
Direct City Attorney to prepare a Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance implementing Recommendation One, utilizing the Baseline Relocation Assistance Components and Applicability Requirement Option Two; and
Direct City Manager to take the necessary steps to implement Recommendations Two through Five, as presented. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
On January 16, 2018, the City Council requested the City Manager to present research and findings on potential policies to support tenants, protections for senior renters, rental assistance programs, and support for renters to move into homeownership. Policy considerations were to include: (1) a “Seniors First” policy to ensure that vulnerable seniors receive priority in rental assistance and relocation assistance; (2) options for new and/or expanded rental assistance and relocation programs; (3) tenant support policies in other cities; (4) input from local housing and property owner organizations, including a “meeting of the minds” between the groups; (5) resources and enforcement tools to pursue negligent landlords (persistent code violators); and, (6) options for maintaining restrictive covenants in place (affordable housing preservation). The City Council also asked for a report on citywide rental rates.
In response, staff initiated a significant research and stakeholder engagement effort, the results of which are contained in the attached Report on Tenant Assistance Policies dated March 2019 (Report), which was transmitted to the City Council on March 18, 2019 (Attachment A).
The Report contains basic information on California law that governs tenant and landlord rights and responsibilities, as well as existing Long Beach tenant assistance policies including the Proactive Rental Housing Inspection Program (PRHIP), condominium conversion requirements, code enforcement tenant relocation assistance, maintenance of low-income hou...
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