Costa Mesa City Council to Consider Rent Registry
The city of Costa Mesa is following the disastrous policies of the city of Santa Ana and will consider the establishment of a citywide rental registry.
The city of Santa Ana implemented a rental registry five years ago that has annually cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars above what it collects from rental property owners to administer. Further, Santa Ana has had to revise the registry several times for violating privacy rights for tenants, as well as failing to adequately include different property types.
The Costa Mesa City Council, however, has asked city staff to provide options and direction to create a similar program in their city.
On the surface a rental registry may not seem that objectionable, however:
- Rent Registries are Historically a First Step Toward Rent Control - in nearly every other city where a rent registry has been implemented it has been initiated as a first step towards implementing rent control.
- The City Council Proponents of a Rent Registry have Publicly Supported Rent Control - we know full well that those council members that are advocating for a rent registry have publicly called for Rent Control in Costa Mesa.
- Community Activist Group, Resilience OC, is Calling for Rent Control in Costa Mesa - This group has been attending council meetings for a number of months demanding the city implement rent control.
Furthermore, the Costa Mesa is facing a budget deficit for the foreseeable future. Santa Ana, next door, has experienced significant cost overruns and has borrowed against its housing fund, as well as its general fund, in order to pay for its rent registry. The registry which provides little to no additional benefit to the consumers - or to the city.
Lastly, any additional cost borne by property owners takes away from the available budget to support improvements, repairs, and upgrades that make the living environment better for tenants. This plan by city council members does not translate to success for tenants, property owners, or the city.
The city can ill afford an additional program that provides little to no benefit all around except to serve as a stepping stone to implement rent control - a further disastrous program that Costa Mesa does not need.
PLEASE JOIN FELLOW AAOC MEMBERS at the COSTA MESA CITY COUNCIL MEETING on TUESDAY, MARCH 17TH at 6PM.
Costa Mesa City Hall
77 Fair Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Help the city council understand the reasons why they should reject these proposals.
For more information, contact AAOC at (714) 245-9500 or advocacy@aaoc.com.
To contact the Costa Mesa City Council members, CLICK HERE.