Pacifica, CA–The San Mateo County District Attorney has filed multiple felony charges against referendum petition signature gatherers hired by the California Apartment Association (CAA). The CAA referendum overturned a temporary law passed by the Pacifica City Council that would have protected tenants from exorbitant rent increases and unjust evictions in the months leading up to the November 2017 vote on rent control. Fair Rents 4 Pacifica, a local all-volunteer community organization, filed a complaint with the District Attorney alleging that signature gatherers were misrepresenting the referendum to gain signatures.
Repeal of Costa-Hawkins essential to our communities
A recent column by Jonathan Madison mentioned the negative impacts of repealing the Costa-Hawkins provisions in California law. For those not fully briefed, Costa-Hawkins prohibits any sort of rent control of properties built after 1995, as well as any single-family structure or condominium of any age.
A look at a couple of issues in the San Mateo City Council race
Seven candidates are vying for three spots on the San Mateo City Council on Tuesday (Nov. 7), including two incumbents.
Those running are Deputy Mayor Rick Bonilla, Councilman Joe Goethals, Planning Commissioners Eric Rodriguez and Charlie Drechsler, San Mateo-Foster City School District board President Chelsea Bonini, transit manager Rob Newsom Jr. and retiree Mark DePaula.
Finding solutions to our affordability crisis
We hear a lot about the housing crisis. We are told that if we just build more, the problem will be solved. There is no doubt we need to build more housing, but just increasing housing supply without accompanying actions to temper rapidly escalating rents does nothing to confront the problem of affordability. Moreover, San Mateo County is projected to add close to 95,000 jobs in the next 25 years. Without countervailing management of the intense job growth fueling the housing demand, supply has little chance of ever catching up.
One San Mateo 