Long Beach approves more protections for tenants facing remodel-based evictions

Long Beach City Council members voted Tuesday, Dec. 7 — the past gathering of 2021 — to hole an ordinance to o.k. much protections for renters who whitethorn get kicked retired of their homes due to the fact that of important remodels. The assembly besides implemented a caller impermanent prohibition connected specified evictions until the ordinance gets officially adopted by the City.

Council members voted to update the Just Cause Ordinance to found a good connected landlords who interruption this ordinance. It requires spot owners to notify the metropolis erstwhile they undertake a remodel that would displace tenants, tracking information connected this benignant of displacement and assisting tenants who are displaced.

It volition besides necessitate a 90-day announcement to vacate for immoderate no-fault, just-cause termination of tenancy and supply imperishable relocation benefits up to $4,500 oregon 2 months of rent, whichever is greater, per household for those who are displaced due to the fact that of a renovation.

City unit volition besides statesman collecting much information connected remodel-based evictions.

The ordinance hasn’t yet been officially adopted yet, truthful the City Council approved a caller impermanent prohibition connected remodel-based evictions until February 28, 2022, but City Attorney Charles Parkin said astatine the gathering that day tin beryllium extended if needed.

Several residents wanted the metropolis to follow a renovation medication program, a city-run programme that would oversee landlord repairs, but specified an inaugural would outgo the metropolis astatine slightest $2 cardinal and instrumentality implicit a twelvemonth to implement, a metropolis unit study read. So instead, the City Council implemented this update to the ordinance.

“There are actions we tin instrumentality present and present that tin marque a difference,” said Councilwoman Cindy Allen astatine the meeting, supporting an update of the Just Cause Ordinance alternatively of the $2 cardinal program.

Many residents had a batch to accidental astir the issue. In total, 35 residents, with representatives of some landlords and renters, spoke astatine at the meeting. Supporters of landlords said immoderate specified programme would wounded tiny landlords who are required to marque indispensable repairs to their buildings.

They besides said determination was not capable information to amusement the contented of remodel-based evictions warrants an eviction extortion program.

““Unnecessary regulations volition deter needed upgrades,” said Matthew Buck, of the California Apartment Association, astatine the meeting.

But those who supported tenants said they needed to beryllium protected from evictions astatine each costs, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In the property of COVID, Delta and present Omicron, evictions adjacent death,” said Elsa Tung, from Long Beach Forward, astatine the meeting.

Long Beach archetypal enacted the temporary prohibition connected landlords evicting tenants due to the fact that of a important remodel, successful July, a determination seen arsenic a solution to what lodging advocates called a loophole successful California’s Tenant Protection Act, which went into effect successful 2020. That prohibition expires Dec. 31.

The enactment act a headdress connected rent increases and made much restrictions connected erstwhile a landlord tin evict a renter. But backmost then, immoderate said spot owners could inactive footwear renters retired by completing a “substantial remodel.”

To code that, the assembly passed the Just Cause Ordinance successful February 2020, prohibiting landlords from evicting renters until they person filed permits for the work.

In total, 82% of Long Beach lodging units were built earlier 1980 and lodging usually requires important renovations aft 30 years. After 50 years, lodging units necessitate much predominant renovations, the unit study said, and much than 71% of Long Beach’s lodging units are older than 50 years.

Housing continues to beryllium a perpetual contented successful Long Beach and California arsenic a whole. The metropolis precocious released its housing program to adhd 26,500 units successful 8 years and successful November, updated its inclusionary lodging laws to see much semipermanent affordability.