Attachment D
Initial Fair Chance Housing Policy Stakeholder and Community Member Feedback Themes Public comments were received at the October 10, 2024 HRC meeting. Staff also conducted interviews with Project Sentinel, PAForward, SV@HOME, and the California Apartment Association. Thus far, feedback from stakeholders and community members have included the themes and points listed in this Attachment.
Theme: Establishment of Local Fair Chance Housing Policies:
•General feedback:
oEstablishment should combine the interests of landlords and renters for public safety as well as the desire to prevent discrimination; and oInitial implementation could inform if any policy adjustments would be warranted later.
•Support:
oEstablishment could help address the history of racial discrimination in policing; and
oEstablishment could support efforts to provide housing for all; •Concerns:
oEstablishment seems like government overreach, generally; oEstablishment might not be necessary to do at the local level; oEstablishment influences landlords’ ability to make their own decisions about how to rent or lease their own property; and
oEstablishment could cause confusion and a patchwork of rights, given the existence of and some overlap with State law.
Theme: Fair Chance Housing Policy-Making Process:
•General feedback:
oPolicy discussions would benefit from learning more from advocates and people who have lived experience of the barriers to accessing housing due to having criminal history;
oPolicy discussions would benefit from learning more about landlord current background procedures and potential implementation concerns, consider sending a voluntary survey to existing Palo Alto landlords;
oPolicy discussions would benefit from learning more from advocates, service providers, renters, and landlords about the logistics of providing and reviewing evidence of inaccuracy, rehabilitation, or other mitigating factors; and oPolicy discussions should consider the current just cause eviction landscape whereby it is difficult to evict a renter later if a public safety issue emerges.
Theme: Fair Chance Housing Policy Components and Implementation:
•General feedback:
oAn Ordinance could be more understandable regarding renter’s rights and landlord policy procedures when examples are provided, such as providing examples in the definition of “adverse action;”
oIf an Ordinance is clear and reasonable, it is more likely to achieve compliance. oRather than a blanket ban unless required by State or Federal law, there is more of a preference for a policy approach that limits the use of criminal history information coupled with renter procedural protections; oFair chance policy components should use an approach that reduces the burden for renters to pursue their rights;
oIt could be helpful if there was dedicated City staff that could help advise on rental policy questions;
oIt could be helpful if any Ordinance included details about how it would be implemented and enforced; and
oIt could be helpful for any Ordinance to have clear enforcement parameters.