City Council Agenda
City of Campbell, 70 N. First St., Campbell, California This Study Session of the City Council will be conducted in person and is compliant with provisions of the Brown Act.
Those members of the public wishing to provide public comment virtually during the open portion can access the meeting at: https://www.campbellca.gov/signup. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Members of the public may attend the meeting in person at Campbell City Hall - Council Chambers.
Public comment will also be accepted via email at [email protected] until 12:00p.m. prior to the start of the meeting. Written comments will be posted on the website and distributed to the Council. If you choose to email your comments, please indicate in the subject line “FOR PUBLIC COMMENT” and indicate the item number.
CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 06:00 PM
City Hall Council Chamber - 70 N. First Street
Councilmember Scozzola will attend virtually from Banco de Costa Rica Puntarenas Bahia Ballena, 60504, Costa Rica. A quorum of the City Council will be in attendance at the Campbell City Hall Council Chambers.
CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL
PUBLIC COMMENT
Study Session to Consider the Establishment of a Housing Commission Page 3 Recommended Action
That the City Council receive the report and provide feedback regarding the potential establishment of a Housing Commission.
ADJOURN
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the City Council after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection with the agenda packet in the lobby of City Clerk’s Office, 70 N. First Street, Campbell, CA 95008, during normal business hours. These materials will also be available on the City website at https://pub-campbell.escribemeetings.com with the
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agenda packet following the last item of the agenda, subject to staff’s ability to post the documents prior to the meeting. All documents not posted prior to the meeting will be posted the next business day.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, listening assistive devices are available for all meetings held in the City Council Chambers. If you require accommodation, please contact the City Clerk’s Office, (408) 866-2117, at least one week in advance of the meeting.
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City Council Report
DATE: November 18, 2025
TITLE: Study Session to Consider the Establishment of a Housing Commission RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council receive the report and provide feedback regarding the potential establishment of a Housing Commission.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study session is to provide City Council with an overview of options concerning the possible formation of a Housing Commission in the City of Campbell. If Council is favorable to the creation of a Housing Commission in some form, staff should next develop a formal proposal to establish such a body, which would serve as an advisory commission to the City Council on housing-related policies, programs, and priorities.
The establishment of a Housing Commission was identified under a program in the City’s adopted 2023-2031 Housing Element (Program H-5z) which calls for the creation of a commission as follows:
Program H-5z: Housing Commission: Establish a Housing Commission, which includes members representing the diverse housing needs and populations of the City (including underrepresented groups, those with special needs, and non-city residents who commute into Campbell for work) to advise the City on implementation of housing programs and policies to meet the needs of the community:
Focus areas could include (a) development of housing related policies and programs, including those that address special needs, (b) identification of funding strategies and sources for affordable housing development, (c) increased outreach and stakeholder engagement regarding housing challenges, including housing rights.
Separately, at the September 2, 2025 Council Meeting, the Council affirmatively voted to request for staff to review the possible reactivation of the City’s Rental Increase FactFinding Committee which has been inactive since 2018. The Committee is responsible Item 3.
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for reviewing rent increases and retaliatory eviction per Chapter 6.09 – Rental Increase Dispute Resolution of the Campbell Municipal Code. The referral also requested staff to explore the feasibility of requiring mandatory participation for both parties in the dispute process. As this Committee was tasked with addressing housing issues related to the potential duties of a Housing Commission, this report will also address this request.
DISCUSSION
Purpose and Scope of Housing Commission
Based on the contemplated functions identified under Housing Element Program H-5z and the duties of the inactive Rental Dispute and Fact-Finding Committee, a new Housing Commission could undertake the following functions:
1) Policy and Program Advisement
• Review the Housing Element Annual Progress Report
• Evaluate housing-related ordinances (e.g., Inclusionary Housing, Density Bonus) • Provide feedback and recommendations on Housing Element Implementation • Advise the Council and staff in housing policy recommendations 2) Rental Issues Oversight
• Assume the functions of the current Rental Increase Fact-Finding Committee which are to hear complaints brought by tenants or owners in rental increase disputes and issue non-binding determination if a rental increase is reasonable.
Per Section 6.09.160 of the Campbell Municipal Code, the City has subpoena powers to force parties to participate in the Rental Fact-Finding Committee hearings. Although the City has subpoena powers, they have not been used to date. Exercising these powers would require Council approval as well as support from the City Attorney.
• Recommend updates to Chapter 2.36 (Rental Increase Fact-Finding Committee) and Chapter 6.09 (Rental Increase Dispute Resolution) to strengthen tenantlandlord protections.
Project Sentinel, a nonprofit service provider, administers rent dispute and mediation services through a service contract on behalf of the City. These services include providing information and referral to both tenants and landlords, conducting mediations, and referring cases to the Rental Increase Fact-Finding Committee. Between 2020 to 2025, Project Sentinel facilitated four mediation cases and did not refer any matters to the Rental Increase Fact-Finding Committee.
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The California Tenant Protection Act (TPA) of 2019, also known as Assembly Bill 1482, established statewide rent stabilization measures that limit annual rent increases. The current rent increase cap for Santa Clara County is 7.7%. The implementation of the TPA has likely contributed to the decline in referrals to the Rental Increase Fact-Finding Committee. Even prior to the TPA’s enactment, only four cases were referred to the Committee between 2015 to 2018. Based on this trend, staff anticipates that only a limited number of cases, if any, would be referred to the Housing Commission if it absorbs the Rental Fact-Finding Committee duties.
Given the existence of California TPA and the current duties of the Rental Increase FactFinding Committee that empowers forced but non-binding mediation, there are likely limited options for “strengthening” the duties of the Committee. The City could choose to use the subpoena process to force participation of the parties. Additionally, the City could by ordinance make the arbitration binding. Another option is to investigate entering into a service contract with a provider to provide legal support to renters needing assistance with rent disputes or evictions.
3) Funding Recommendations
• Provide input on the potential establishment and use of a future Housing Trust Fund including:
o Policy and procedure recommendations on allocating Housing Trust funds o Reviewing proposals received and making funding recommendations to Council on proposed projects and programs, such as affordable housing projects or homebuyer programs.
4) Community Engagement
• Promote public outreach, education, and stakeholder engagement on housing issues
Comparative Review of Neighboring Housing Commissions
Staff has reviewed housing commissions or similar bodies in neighboring jurisdictions.
There are differences in the membership, meeting frequency and key focus areas for each example. The membership varies from 5 to 14 members; while the meeting frequency varies from monthly (most common) to quarterly. The key focus areas include developing housing policy, housing funding recommendations, rent stabilization and tenant protections. A summary of the housing commissions is in the table below.
City Body Name Membership Meeting
Frequency
Key Focus Areas
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Campbell Rental
Increase FactFinding
Committee
5 members
• 2 tenants
• 2 rental
property
owners
• 1 neutral
party
As needed
(inactive since
2018)
Rent Increases
Cupertino Housing
Commission
5 members Quarterly Housing Policy
CDBG and
Affordable Housing
Fund
Recommendations
Milpitas Community
Housing
Commission
7 members + 2
alternates
Bi-monthly Promotes
awareness of
Community
Improvement and
Housing and
Supportive Services
CDBG Funding
Recommendations
Mountain
View
Rental Housing
Committee
5 members + 1
alternate
Monthly Rent Stabilization
Mobile Home Rent
Stabilization
Ordinance
Palo Alto Human
Relations
Commission
7 members Monthly Housing Issues
Local Grant Funds
CDBG Funds
Employment
Education
San Jose Housing and
Community
Development
Commission
14 members Monthly Housing Policy
Housing Funds
Rent Stabilization
Mobile Homes
CDBG Funding
Process
Sunnyvale Housing and
Human
Services
Commission
7 members Monthly CDBG/HOME
Funding Process
Housing Element
Implementation
Tenant Protections
Ordinance
Composition and Membership
There are two potential approaches for implementing the functions of a Housing Commission. The Housing Commission would be an advisory committee to the City Council and would be subject to the Brown Act guidelines. The first option involves integrating these functions into an existing commission, while the second option entails establishing a new stand-alone Housing Commission. Both options are outlined below.
Option A – Integration with an Existing Commission
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The City has several existing Commissions that could potentially incorporate the proposed housing-related functions into their work plans, such as the Planning Commission or the Civic Improvement Commission.
Recent changes in state housing laws have reduced the number of discretionary items reviewed by the Planning Commission, as many housing project approvals are now administrative or ministerial in nature. This may provide the Planning Commission with additional capacity to advise on housing-related matters.
Similarly, the Civic Improvement Commission already advises the City on several community-related issues, including social services, seniors and youth. Its broad focus could potentially extend to include housing issues.
Advantages
• Avoids the need to create and staff a new commission. • Potential for synergy with existing commission topics and areas of expertise.
Disadvantages
• Existing commission bylaws and purpose would need to be amended to incorporate housing-related responsibilities.
Option B – Establishment a New Housing Commission
Alternatively, the City may choose to establish a new, dedicated Housing Commission.
Should this option be selected, staff recommends replacing the existing Rental Increase Fact-Finding Committee to prevent duplication of efforts.
Advantages
• Provides a clear and focused mandate specific to housing issues. • Consolidates the functions of the existing Rental Increase Fact-Finding Committee.
Disadvantages
• Recruitment of qualified members may be challenging.
• Additional staff resources would be required to support the new commission Proposed Composition
Based on a review of housing commissions in neighboring jurisdictions, staff recommends the following composition for Council consideration should the Housing Commission act as its own, stand-alone Commission:
1) Membership
• Five at-large members appointed by the City Council.
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• Emphasis on diverse housing experience, including representation from renters, landlords, developers, special needs advocates, and commuters. • Four-year terms for all appointed members.
2) Staffing and Resource Implications
The creation of a Housing Commission would require staff support, with primary assistance from the Housing Manager. Anticipated needs include:
• Meeting coordination and agenda preparation
• Staff research and policy support
• Training for commission members
• Consultant assistance (as needed)
• Public outreach or translation services
FISCAL IMPACT
There are no direct fiscal impacts associated with this item. However, establishment of a Housing Commission would require ongoing staff time with an estimated minimum commitment of 4-5 hours of staff time per meeting to notice, attend, clerk and prepare meeting minutes. This time commitment does not include staff time to prepare staff reports, nor does it include staff time to enforce or prepare subpoenas or policy changes.
There could potentially be a need for additional funding for training, consultant services and public outreach.
NEXT STEPS
Should Council support moving forward, staff would return with:
• A draft ordinance establishing the Housing Commission • Proposed bylaws and scope of authority
• Staff and budget implications
• An Implementation timeline
PREPARED BY: Eloiza Murillo-Garcia, Housing Program Manager Item 3.
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Report Approval Details
Document Title: Report for Housing Commission Study Session.docx Attachments:
Final Approval Date: November 12, 2025
This document and all of its attachments were approved and signed as outlined below:
Rob Eastwood, Community Development Director
Will Fuentes, Finance Director
Andrea Sanders, City Clerk
Brian Loventhal, City Manager
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