Good morning, Redwood City.
Last week, activists presented a draft ordinance to the Redwood City Council to help prevent landlord negligence. They say even though the city has been a leader on many housing issues, landlord negligence and intimidation has been a blind spot.
The city released a community survey on rental housing policies that is open to the public for four more days. Input from the survey will be included in a study session presentation ahead of the regularly scheduled council meeting on Aug. 28.
The Redwood City Council last week voted to approve amendments to the Downtown Precise Plan, including maximizing office development capacity to 80,000 square feet and revising minimum building height and parking ratios.
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors is studying new protections for tenants that live in unincorporated parts of the county. The supervisors will hold a special meeting on Monday, July 10 to study potential new protections to help prevent homelessness, sanction harassment of tenants and aid those with criminal records in finding housing.
According to the County, the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo report found that 50 percent of households that defended evictions in court experienced at least one bout of homelessness thereafter with female and Latino/Hispanic renters most at risk. Criminal records are another barrier, with 36 percent of homeless individuals reporting that having one has made it difficult to obtain housing, according to a 2023 statewide survey by the University of California at San Francisco.
The SMC Board of Supervisors will not vote on any proposal at the July 10 meeting but may provide staff with direction, including to bring back an ordinance for consideration at a later date.
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