Mountain View Considers Options to Assist Renters

The Mountain View City Council will consider Tuesday several options to assist renters, who are calling for stronger protections to prevent them from having to leave their units.

The council will consider a right-to-lease ordinance, an expanded emergency renters assistance program, mandatory mediation for rent disputes, additional data on rents in the city and further study on a safe parking program for recreational vehicles, said Linda Lauzze, city administrative and neighborhood services manager.

Angel Santuario of the Mountain View Tenants Coalition said the group has called for rent control, just cause eviction protections and a moratorium on rent increases while the study is being carried out.

The council considered the three options among other possible actions, but felt there were other ways to address the rent situation, Mayor John McAlister said.

The ordinance would require landlords to provide a written agreement for tenants who plan to rent a unit for at least six months to a year.

Many renters have complained of multiple increases while leasing on a month-to-month basis and a longer-term agreement would provide them with more “consistency and stability,” McAlister said.

The council will also consider setting aside funds to gather data on the city’s housing situation from landlords and tenants, McAlister said. Santuario, a renter in Mountain View for more than 12 years, said many tenants fear facing higher rents or being evicted if their landlords find out they’re participating in the study.

Currently, tenants can receive 60-day eviction notices without any real reason from their landlord, Santuario said.

Many renters make a little over minimum wage that isn’t enough to pay off their rent and support their families, according to Santuario.

“We want tenants to speak up for us to look into the problem,” McAlister said.

The city currently contracts with Project Sentinel, a housing counseling agency that informs tenants of their rights and offers them assistance if they’re faced with economic hardship, Lauzze said.

There are about 3,000 units in the city under construction that McAlister said could “hopefully solve the problem” of a lack of housing options.

The council will also discuss three options for the city’s emergency renters assistance program, including possibly extending funding for tenants facing difficulty in making rent to prevent them from becoming displaced or homeless, Lauzze said.

The council will consider the options during its meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

About 50 to 100 community members are expected to voice their concerns about rent to the council this evening, Santuario said.

--Bay City News Service