Let’s get straight to the point, because this is URGENT, and we will explain the urgency below, but HERE is the proposal:
Mayor Ashleigh Aitken said Anaheim does not need rent control as our tenants are already protected by the state law AB 1482 of 2019which provides some protection from evictions and caps annual rent increases at a maximum of 5% CPI plus 10%. (Last year Anaheim’s rate was 8.8%). And most members of the current City Council seem to agree with the mayor on this point: AB 1482 is GOOD and SUFFICIENT. (They say.)
BUT one of the biggest problems with AB 1482 is There is no enforcement mechanismtherefore, its various provisions, including rent caps and eviction protections, are OFTEN VIOLATED without consequence. Not in all cities, some of which have staff or an entire department dedicated to enforcing tenants’ rights – but Anaheim has nothing of the sort. Tenants in this city, where the majority of tenants live,
- do not know if or when their landlord is breaking the law;
- don’t know what to do if that’s the case;
- fear retaliation, eviction, or even worse if they do not have papers.
Tenants in Anaheim who suffer illegally excessive rent increases or unjustified evictions have no choice but to turn to the understaffed, underfunded, and completely overwhelmed Public Law Center.
Mayor Aitken, known to be a former federal prosecutorknows exactly A law that is not enforced or enforceable is not worth the paper it is printed on. But we have found a way out of this impasse:
If the Anaheim City Council decides as soon as possible, an ordinance identical or similar to AB 1482, the office of our powerful city attorney will be able to enforce its provisions. And this needs to be done quickly, within this month.
I am posting this NOW, on Sunday, to get the word out, but on Monday and Tuesday I will add the following:
- Numerous examples of how both the rent cap and wrongful eviction provisions of AB 1482 have been routinely violated throughout the city in the four years since the law was passed; And
- Reasons why the Council should care and ACT FAST.
We think it’s a no-brainer. And we’ll take you at your word that you care about Anaheim’s renters, who make up more than 55% of the city’s population, and in some areas, more than 60%.
Vern out, for now.
