From: Trish Spencer
To: Lara Weisiger
Subject: Fwd: [EXTERNAL] Relief from the moratorium
Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2022 5:25:07 PM
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Naomi Schmidt <[email protected]>
Date: Mar 15, 2022 4:33 PM
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Relief from the moratorium
To: Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft <[email protected]> Cc: Malia Vella <[email protected]>,Tony Daysog <[email protected]>,Trish Spencer <[email protected]>,John Knox White <[email protected]> Hello Mayor and city council,
I disagree with the Alameda Renters Coalition. We purchased our first multi-unit home in March 2020 with the hopes of doing an owner move-in to one of the units. This was our first home purchase and attempt at a "house hack" after years of saving and planning. We had to completely pivot our plans for 2+ years with the eviction moratorium and keep renting even though we had poured our whole savings into the home purchase. We couldn't raise rent and our plans for living arrangements were put on an indefinite hold to this day. We understand there are big landlords in the game, but there are plenty of small ones out there - again this was our first home purchase and took years of planning and research.
Additionally, during the covid time period, P G & E, Electricity, ACI as well as property insurance, taxes and the Alameda Rent Control fees have all increased. That does not include improvements to the property which have skyrocketed since I've purchased my property. All of our tenants have continued to work, not one has been unemployed.
Please be fair to the landlords as well as the tenants.
Sincerely,
Naomi Schmidt
From: Trish Spencer
To: Lara Weisiger
Subject: Fwd: Reading of Ordinance Amendment regarding rent moratorium Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2022 4:13:09 PM
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Joe @ Keller Williams" <[email protected]>
Date: Mar 15, 2022 3:45 PM
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Reading of Ordinance Amendment regarding rent moratorium To: Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft <[email protected]> Cc:
Honorable Mayor and City Council,
Thank you for providing some relief from the covid restrictions for the property Owners of rental properties in Alameda. Many owners have had multiple increases as you know for many different reasons. EBMUD increases, PG7E increases, AMP increases In the last 3 years PG&E has increased over 20%, EBMUD rates were going to rise over 20% but due to the "pandemic" they only voted unanimously to increase 4% per year. But we will be looking at a larger rate increase very soon. Has anyone payed attention to the cost of materials and labor for maintenance repairs is the charts on all of the material required to maintain a property.
Rental property insurance has risen 17-30% minimum in the last 2 years.
The City of Alameda as most government entities continue to show the hypocrisy of elected government officials, supposedly elected to represent the community as a whole decided to increase the cost of the rent stabilization program fees from $106.00 in 2018 to $148 one year later. Where is the example to the community in limiting the increase to the 70% of CPI of that year, the same restriction you put on owners for their business, instead raised it by approx 40%. I won't even mention the increase to the fire inspection fees also ignoring any supposedly reasonable 70% of CPI increase.
The correspondence from the renters coalition shows no concern art all for increases mentioned above. Please continue on your present course and lift the emergency moratorium immediately following as most of the state of California has.
Respectfully
Joe LoParo
It is not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves and their communities, that will make them successful human beings Joe LoParo
Broker Associate
Keller Williams CABRE#01394083
ABR® SRES® MRP® CNHS® CRR® ePRO®
2437 Santa Clara Ave
Alameda CA 94501
www.DIscoverAlameda.com
[email protected]
Dear Madam Mayor and Council members:
ꢀ
I write because as a “mom/pop” pr
operty owner I’m asking that you try and
understand that by the actions of the Council (r
egar
dless of your good
intentions), the costs of holding and maintaining r
ental pr
operty is becoming
mor
e and mor
e di
ffi
cult (at least for us). W
e have kept our r
ents low so that our
long term tenants can stay in the neighborhood, raise their childr en and r
emain
in Alameda. YET
, the costs (maintenance, door cost per Alameda’
s Rent
pr
ogram, pr
operty insurance, utilities (gas, water
, garbage) etc. continues to go
up, and up and up. The r
eality is the fact that us “mom/pop” pr
operty owners
ar
e being run out-of- business with all the incr
eased costs. Coupling the
incr
eased costs without r
ent incr
eases, is not a working equation for the
pr
operty owner
. T
enants and pr
operty owners need to shar
e the incr
eased
costs, period. If not, how to you expect the pr
operty owner to continue
pr
oviding?
ꢀ
Please r
emove any/all r
estrictions and lift the T
emporary Moratorium on Rent
Incr
eases (which is now 2 years+ old.) for the sake of all parties in the equation. ꢀ
Thanks for listening.
ꢀ
Eric & Cor
nelia Grunseth (pr
operty owners who want to stay in business)
From: Jeanne Allen
To: Lara Weisiger
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Fwd: letter
Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2022 1:51:53 PM
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Jeanne Allen <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, Mar 15, 2022 at 9:29 AM
Subject: Fwd: letter
To: Ezzy Ashcraft <[email protected]
>, John Knoxwhte
<[email protected]>, Malia Vella <[email protected]>, Tony Daysog <[email protected]>, Trish Spencer <[email protected]> Honorable Mayor and City Council,
I disagree with the Alameda Renters Coalition. Landlords have not been able to raise their rents for 2 + years. In my case it's been 3 years. During that time P G & E, Alameda Power, East Bay Mudd and ACI as well as property insurance, taxes and the Alameda Rent Control fees have all increased. That does not include improvements to the property. All of our tenants have continued to work, not one has been unemployed. Our rents are below what is the standard for section 8. Many of the Mom and Pop landlords also have rents below the section 8 standards. Many of Alameda Renters Coalition claims don't relate to Alameda.
Please be fair to the landlords as well as the tenants.
Sincerely,
Jeanne Allen
From: Trish Spencer
To: Lara Weisiger
Subject: Fwd: Landlords need your help!
Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2022 1:12:46 PM
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lori Moe <[email protected]>
Date: Mar 15, 2022 11:43 AM
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Landlords need your help!
To: Trish Spencer <[email protected]>,John Knox White <[email protected]>,Malia Vella <[email protected]> Cc:
Help!!! 911 We are dying here!!
Why are Alameda Landlords penalized and restrained like no other individuals or businesses in Alameda? How can the city justify continuing to interfere with a group of Alameda tax paying citizen's ability to make a normal living to support their families? To interfere with their ability to enforce legally binding contracts with tenants to recoup rents owed? Rent control in inflationary times is especially punitive and blocks owners ability to service rising debts and pay property taxes that the city depends on!
Inflation IS here and all operating costs are greatly rising, yet the City Council continues to expect Landlords to subsidize housing for all renters in Alameda??? Why isn't the City stepping up to subsidize Landlords?? Why are we strapped with not only providing for our own families, but all renters? We can't afford to continue!
We have not been able to raise rents for 3 years. Yet Alameda's Rent Control Program Fees, property taxes, gas, Electricity, Garbage and interest rates have all increased. We can't afford maintenance and improvements to the property as building supplies and labor costs have hugely increased.
All of my tenants have continued to work or receive unemployment or relief funding, while landlords like myself qualify for no support. No relief. Just more restraints and controls from a group of biased council members??? Our rents are below what is the standard for section 8. Many of the Mom and Pop landlords also have rents below the section 8 standards. Many of Alameda Renters Coalition claims don't relate to Alameda. Alameda landlords are solid community members who are slowing being killed off.
Please be fair to the landlords as well as the tenants. Biased policy making effort of Rent Control must end. What is the City doing to support landlords? Why aren't we allowed a market rate increase as all other Alameda businesses can. Why would anyone chose to continue to be a landlord and provide goods and services while loosing money and controlled by unfair policies? Who is going to pay our property taxes for us??
Please consider you have a responsibility to ensure we all don't die.
Sent from my iPhone
From: Trish Spencer
To: Lara Weisiger
Subject: Fwd: [EXTERNAL]
Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2022 11:30:11 AM
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ronald Bain <[email protected]>
Date: Mar 15, 2022 11:17 AM
Subject: [EXTERNAL]
To: Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft <[email protected]> Cc: Malia Vella <[email protected]>,Tony Daysog <[email protected]>,Trish Spencer <[email protected]>,John Knox White <[email protected]>
Honorable Mayor and City Council,
I disagree with the Alameda Renters Coalition. Landlords have not been able to raise their rents for 2 + years. In my case it's been 3 years. During that time P G & E, Electricity, ACI as well as property insurance, taxes and the Alameda Rent Control fees have all increased. That does not include improvements to the property. All of our tenants have continued to work, not one has been unemployed.
Our rents are below what is the standard for section 8. Many of the Mom and Pop landlords also have rents below the section 8 standards. Many of Alameda Renters Coalition claims don't relate to Alameda.
Below are just a few of the many increased cost challenges we have and continue to be up against without any relief from city counsel
Utilities -gas, water, electric, garbage
Maintenance costs - wages and the cost of material to repair items.
Interference of the government not allowing the property owners to seek the normal bath of enforcement for rents due.
The City itself having increased the per door cost of the Rent program has far exceeded the CPI adjustment they limit the property owners too Fire Inspections fees once again far exceed the CPI adjustment they allow property owners.
Costs of landlord policies have increased 17-40% over the last three years.
Property management fees, mostly due to onerous ordinances passed by cities
Please be fair to the landlords as well as the tenants.
By now you must have base line of how many Mom and Pop landlords there are and the amount of housing they provide here in our city once you succeed in putting us out business what do you have left.
Stop the Mom and Pop punishment before it’s too late.
Sincerely, Mom & Pop Landlord
1 From: Michelle Morgan <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2022 10:43 AM
To: Lara Weisiger
Subject: [EXTERNAL] End the rent moratorium
Attachments: image001.jpg
Madam Mayor and City Council members, I urge you to pass the amended ordinance to end the rent moratorium. I am one of the "mom and pop" housing providers that struggles to keep up with rising costs while subsidizing my tenants rents. I have lowered tenants rents during the pandemic for those that could not afford the full amount. In addition, I have a section 8 tenant that pays far below market rent. I have repeatedly asked for a rent adjustment from housing and have been denied. Utilities have continued to soar, fire inspection costs have increased, maintenance and repairs have as well. All of these costs have gone well beyond the CPI. Property insurance and property taxes have also exceeded the CPI. I am seriously considering selling this small property as it doesn't make any more. It will be sold to an investor that has no stake in how our community moves forward. Thank you for considering and please end this moratorium. --
Regards,
Michelle Morgan
--
Regards,
Michelle
Michelle Morgan
/ REALTOR®
510.368.6346 direct
DRE-01774568
The linked image cannot be displayed. The file may have been m ov ed, renamed, or deleted. Verify that the link points to the correct file and location.
WINDERMERE BAY AREA PROPERTIES
DRE-01815347
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 1212 Broadway Plaza, –Suite 2100 1700 Park Street, –Suite 220 Walnut Creek, CA 94596 Alameda, CA 94501
OFFICE: 510-865-1111
OFFICE: 925-256-1600
* I have not verified any of the information contained in those documents that were prepared by other people* From: Michelle Koka
To: Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft
Cc: Lara Weisiger
Subject: Speaker comment
Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2022 9:59:49 AM
Mr. Bruce Carnes would like it to be noted at the meeting tonight, that he would like to be able to raise rents on his property. That he has expenses maintaining a Victorian. Everything for him is going up in price yet he can’t raise his rents right away.
He did not ask for a call back but his number is 510.846.3930
Michelle
From: Karen MIller
To: Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft; Malia Vella; John Knox White; Trish Spencer; Tony Daysog Cc: Lara Weisiger
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Item 5L on the agenda
Date: Monday, March 14, 2022 7:26:57 PM
Dear Mayor and Council members,
I am not unsympathetic to tenants who are still struggling as a result of the pandemic but many housing providers are as well. Even without inflation, costs have skyrocketed. The large property owners may be able to “ride this out” but I know of landlords who are selling their properties because they no longer can afford their properties with the increased costs. These Alamedans will be selling to out of town investors who won’t care about their tenants. It will change the fabric of Alameda forever.
Housing providers have sacrificed long enough. Property taxes have increased 2% for each of the last 2 years and will increase another 2% this year, water has increased by 6.25% in 2020 another increase of 4% in 2021 and scheduled to go up another 4% this year. Costs to maintain properties have increased as well.
Please allow this rent increase to be implemented. The ARC’s interpretation of allowing another 8% for the banked amounts to be added to the increase is incorrect. The maximum banked amounts are 3% added to the allowable rent increase of the 70% of the CPI. Alameda County has an unemployment rate of 4.3% which is considered full employment. We need to move on to whatever our “new normal” is which includes allowing housing providers to increase rents. The City Council froze rent increases in April of 2020. The 2.7% is so much less than where they should be now. The AGA was 2.8% in 2019, 1% in 2020 and another 2.7% in 2021. The rent should have increased by
6.5% since the rent freeze and this is based on only 70% of the Consumer Price Index, not 100% which would be more appropriate. Please allow this 2.7% rent increase to proceed.
Thank you for your consideration.
Karen Miller
Housing provider
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. www.avast.com
March
14,
2022
Dear
Mayor
Ezzy
Ashcraf
t
and
City
Councilmembers,
We
oppose
the
ordinance
amending
Ord.
3275
to
end
the
moratorium
that
has
frozen
rents
during
the
COVID
emergency.
Alameda
tenants
and
homeowners
alike
are
contacting
ARC
in
shock
about
your
decision
to
allow
rent
increases
while
the
pandemic
is
still
in
progress
and
to
allow
banking
up
to
8%
in
the
near
future.
City
Council
is
not
keeping
its
promise
to
tenants
not
to
lift
the
rent
freeze
until
60 days
after
the
local
emergency,
yet
you’ve
said
you
need
to
keep
your
promise
to
landlords
to
allow
banking.
It
looks
like
2022
will
be
the
year
that
demonstrates
the
ethical
problems
with
banking
to
people
renting
homes
in
this
city.
Tenants
who
are
already
facing
highly
inflated
cost-of-living
expenses
may
be
hit
with
increases
up
to
8%
just
a
few
months
from
now.
The
National
Low
Income
Housing
Coalition
estimates
fair
market
rent
in
Alameda
for
the
94501
zip
code
as
$2050
for
a
one-bedroom
apartment
and
$2530
for
a
two-
bedroom
apartment;
for
the
94502
zip
code
the
estimates
for
one-
and
two-bedroom
units
are
$2560
and
$3150,
respectively.
An
8%
increase
would
cost
the
average
renting
household
around
$160-$250
more
every
month,
and
they’ll
be
eligible
for
yet
another
increase
12 months
later.
This
will
not
only
push
some
tenants
out
of
their
homes
but
will
make
Alameda
rents
increasingly
unaffordable
for
current
and
future
residents.
Program
Manager
Lisa
Fitts
acknowledged
two
points
during
the
last
Council
meeting:
Landlord
maintenance
and
repair
expenses
have
been
stable
or
have
declined
during
the
emergency
and,
as
noted
by
a
landlord
speaker,
the
increased
expenses
for
landlords
have
been
things
like
food
and
gas,
increases
which
renters
are
also
experiencing.
According
to
a
recent
article
published
in
the
Mercury
News,
over
70,000
Bay
Area
tenants
are
waiting
for
emergency
rental
assistance.
The
California
state
emergency
rental
assistance
program
will
no
longer
accept
applications
for
rent
relief
after
March
31;
the
remaining
limited
statewide
eviction
protections
will
also
end
on
the
same
day.
The
Alameda
County
Housing
Secure
Program,
which
is
separate
from
the
state
rental
assistance
program,
may
continue
to
accept
applications;
however,
the
program
is
currently
oversubscribed,
with
far
more
requests
for
funding
than
funds
available.
It
is
unlikely
that
the
county
will
receive
enough
additional
funds
from
the
Treasury
Department
to
bridge
the
gap.
A
recent
report
by
the
National
Equity
Atlas
has
highlighted
a
number
of
problems
with
California’s
rental
assistance
program:
Only
16%
of
emergency
rental
assistance
applicants
have
received
money
from
the
state
program.
90%
of
renters
who
have
applied
and
received
assistance
have
requested
additional
support.
The
majority
(59%)
of
applicants
are
still
waiting
for
their
applications
to
be
reviewed.
As
of
Feb
23rd,
over
half
of
those
with
approved
applications
have
not
yet
received
assistance.
1 ********reports.nlihc.org/oor/zip?code=94501
and
********reports.nlihc.org/oor/zip?code=94502
2 ***********.mercurynews.com/2022/03/05/emergency-rental-aid-coming-too-little-too-late-study-finds/ 3 State
of
Waiting:
California’s
Rental
Assistance
Program
one
Month
Before
Expiration.
********nationalequityatlas.org/CARentalAssistance
4 ***********.census.gov/programs-surveys/household-pulse-survey/data.html In
addition,
recent
findings
from
the
U.S.
Census
Bureau’s
Household
Pulse
Survey
show
an
increasing
number
of
California
tenants
are
behind
on
their
rent.
The
most
recent
estimate
is
11%
of
Bay
Area
renters
are
not
current
on
rent.
Statewide,
nearly
half
of
renter
households
who
are
behind
on
rent
think
it
is
very
or
somewhat
likely
they
will
be
evicted
in
the
next
two
months.
Nearly
30%
of
renter
households
are
not
confident
in
their
ability
to
pay
next
month’s
rent.
Data
from
this
survey
also
show
that
many
renters
who
have
lost
income
have
continued
to
pay
the
rent,
but
have
taken
on
debt
in
other
forms
in
order
to
make
the
rent
—
including
the
use
of
credit
cards,
tapping
into
savings,
and
borrowing
from
family
or
friends.
Others
have
utilized
limited
assistance
such
as
stimulus
payments
and
unemployment
insurance.
Since
November
2021
landlords
have
had
the
ability
to
sue
tenants
for
unpaid
COVID-
19 rental
debt
in
civil
court.
Although
there
is
no
current
estimate
of
the
number
of
these
cases
being
processed
by
the
Alameda
County
Superior
Courts,
it
is
likely
that
there
will
be
a
substantial
increase
in
case
filings
after
the
emergency
rental
assistance
program
ends.
This
is
another
financial
debt
that
many
tenants
will
soon
be
facing.
Taken
together,
these
data
demonstrate
the
very
precarious
situation
a
significant
number
of
tenants
find
themselves
in,
two
years
into
the
COVID-19
pandemic.
The
upcoming
rent
increases
approved
by
the
Council
will
only
add
to
this
financial
burden
and
will
result
in
many
tenants
being
displaced
and
losing
their
housing.
ARC
is
aware
that
the
Council
will
also
soon
consider
Capital
Improvement
Plan
changes
that
would
ease
the
way
for
landlords
to
receive
even
more
from
renters
for
upgrading
properties,
which
will
likely
lead
to
even
more
displacement
due
to
unsustainable
rents.
Why
is
the
City
focusing
on
helping
owners
of
million-
and
multi-million-dollar
properties
more
than
residents
who
are
struggling
to
stay
housed?
Why
the
rush
to
ease
landlords
“burden”
by
allowing
rent
increases
during
the
local
emergency?
When
an
emergency
happens,
you
pivot
for
the
good
of
the
community,
not
worry
about
keeping
a
promise
to
put
profits
first.
We
see
this
decision
as
a
mistake.
You
have
the
power
to
correct
it
at
the
second
reading.
We
hope
you
will
reconsider
passing
this
ordinance.
Sincerely,
Alameda
Renters
Coalition