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Campaign for Stronger Renters' Protections in Fremont
It is undeniable that rent prices are becoming unaffordable for countless families and residents in Fremont. The average apartment rent in Fremont has increased by $1,236 or 82% in the past five years. Our wages are NOT increasing at the same rate as the costs of housing. The average monthly rent in Fremont is now $2,499. This increases to $2,699 for a two bedroom apartment and $2,237 for a one bedroom apartment. Fremont is listed as SECOND in the Top 10 cities with the fastest rent growth. Forbes lists the Fremont as the SECOND worst place in the U.S. for renters. Over one third of renter households in Fremont are currently rent burdened, or paying more than 30% of their income on rent. Fremont is suffering from a housing crisis. Families are being priced out of their community or facing homelessness. Rent increases and mass evictions are disrupting our community. Working class families are forced to abandon their jobs, schools, and faith communities. These families are essential to the fabric and stability of Fremont. We are responding by organizing a powerful housing rights movement and claiming our right to a decent, stable, and affordable home! Sources: Rent Jungle, California Rental Price Monitor, Forbes April 2015 report, UC Berkeley's Urban Displacement Project |
OUR SOLUTIONS:
On October 13, 2015, Fremont City Council voted on Councilmember Vinnie Bacon’s referral to direct City staff to study renter protection policy options. RISE firmly believes that the combination of RENT CONTROL and JUST CAUSE EVICTION are the most effective tools to stabilize communities.
Rent control is a way to protect tenants from large, unnecessary rent increases. Rent control would limit annual rent increases so that landlords may only raise the rent once per year by a predictable amount. This would help stabilize our community. Thirteen cities in California currently have some form of rent control. New renter protection campaigns are springing up and gaining momentum in the cities of Alameda, San Mateo, Burlingame, and Richmond, while San Jose and Oakland are strengthening their existing renter protections.
Just cause for eviction prevents the arbitrary eviction of tenants who have paid their rent and have respected their lease agreements. Just cause goes hand in hand with rent control. Just cause requires that landlords have a specific reason to evict a tenant. Renters have very limited rights if there are no just cause protections in their city, as landlords can unexpectedly remove tenants without ever stating a reason. Indeed, under state law and in Fremont currently a tenant does not have to know why they are being evicted.
