Dear Mayor Mueller and Members of the City Council,
I urge you to reject the Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance proposed by the City’s Housing Commission.It isrent control which
has been conclusively demonstrated to diminish the quantity and quality of affordable rental housing in cities which have adopted
it.
Because rent control results in higher rents going forward the only true beneficiaries are the tenants in place when the
legislation is adopted – and of course the legal profession which promulgates it and reaps the rewards of thebounty of fees it
generates.
Forty four statesand most of Californiahaveno form ofrent control. In October2017the Palo Alto’s CityCouncilconsideredandrejected
rent control. Then Councilman now Mayor Eric Filseth said at that time (as quoted in the 10/20/17 Palo Alto Weekly), “Rent control
has a strong tendency to help a few people right away and hurt a lot more in the long run.” Let us follow the leadof our neighbor
and reject these well intended but misguidedpolicies.
I thank you for your time and consideration
Sincerely,
Helen L.
