McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
From: Joel Bryant
Sent: Monday, August 08, 2022 7:09 PM
To: PublicComment-AutoResponse
Subject: Opposition to Rent Control in Pasadena
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Monday, August 8, 2022
Good evening Vice Mayor Wilson and Members of the City Council:
My name is Joel Bryant.
I will first start off by saying that I oppose rent control in concept and in practice. I will explain my reasoning below.
By way of background, 1 am a lifelong Pasadena resident and civic advocate for our cherished city. Professionally, I am a builder based here in Pasadena. I have developed and built both affordable and market rate housing over the past 20 years most of which are here in the City. Currently, I am overseeing the construction of a 115-unit mixed use project in Pasadena, which will contain (when complete) ten affordable units restricted to very low income households. I humbly consider myself a professional in the arena of housing and the economics of real estate development. I was on the Mayor Gordo's Housing Task Force that convened in 2021-22 to update the Housing Element of the GP and I was one of four (4) HTF members that pushed to not have Program #14 added to the Document. The program #14 basically takes a position that if the voters reject the measure in November than the City will take up the matter of investigating the feasibility of enacting rent control/stabilization.
I understand that tonight's discussion will focus on an analysis of the rent control measure and the City Council taking a position of support, opposition, or neutrality regarding the measure. I further understand that Pasadena voters will ultimately 08/08/2022
Item 11, 12, 13
decide the direction of this policy in the November election. That said, I would like to state my thoughts on this very important topic:
1. Passage of this measure will not make rents "affordable" in the City of Pasadena. The average rent in Pasadena today is in excess of $2,100, which already far exceeds the limits of what is considered affordable.
2. Rent control does not add one single unit of affordable housing to our existing housing stock.
3. Furthermore, the proposed measure may very well place undue burden on smaller multifamily properties, particularly the owners classified as "mom- and-pops" of which there are many. The margins on these properties are not as large as many people think. Why burden this group with the responsibility of carrying out this heavy public policy requirement?
4. Capping rental increases does not cap expenses. Until there is some larger action to curtain costs than we are creating an unbalance in the relationship of renter >owner→lender>and maintenance provides.
5. The State already has rent control in the form of AB1482 (limits annual increases to 5% plus COLA adjustment of no more than 5%).
6. Passage of the measure would also result in the creation of additional bureaucracy at an added cost of $5.8 million and upwards of 26 staff positions. How will we administer this?
7. Instead of rent control, we need to focus on the following:
• Maintaining and protecting the existing supply of affordable housing. • Developing more workforce and affordable housing (rental & ownership) which often occurs on the back of market rate housing. • Continuing the movement and practice of building ADU's. • Realizing and acknowledging that we are doing our part in the context of a larger problem/challenge that is bigger than us. Note: our City Housing Staff is doing a great job at this.
• Being open to the perspective that there are often no solutions that end with all parties hugging and high-five'ing each other - instead what we get are simply just tradeoffs and we have to deal with that.
In closing, I know Pasadena's rent control advocates have good intent. Moreover, the lack of affordably pricing shelter is perhaps the State of California's biggest 2 planning challenge - nothing comes close. But, as my former District 3 City Councilmember (the late John Kennedy) said, "it is a well-intentioned bad idea." | have often said pushing for rent control is "doing the wrong thing for the right reason."
Lastly, I want to make it clear that l am not fighting against the cause that the advocates of rent control are pushing. In most instances, 1 am right there with them shoulder-to-shoulder to advocate and advance actions that create more affordably priced housing in our City, and beyond. I also support our continued efforts to ensure that rental housing owners and operators do not harass or negligently evict their tenants.
But I simply do not think this ordinance (rent control) is a tool to place in our affordable housing toolbox. We have to reach further and think bigger that this.
In closing I would like to thank you for your time and consideration of my statement.
With gratitude and respect.
Joel Bryant
McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
From: Jomsky, Mark
Sent: Monday, August 08, 2022 7:01 PM
To: Official Records - City Clerk
Subject: Fwd: Rent Control and Earthquake Retrofit
From: Deborah Lutz
Sent: Monday, August 8, 2022 6:26 PM
To: Gordo, Victor <[email protected]>; district1 <[email protected]>; Williams, Felicia <[email protected]>; Masuda, Gene < [email protected]>; Rivas, Jose <[email protected]>; Madison, Steve <[email protected]>; Wilson, Andy <[email protected]>
Subject: Rent Control and Earthquake Retrofit
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Council members,
For many years I've worried about how rent control makes it more and more difficult to properly maintain quality housing.
If often stated that private housing providers have to plan for the future. Run their property like a business to make sure that they can replace the roof and plumbing in the future as needed. We don't have the luxury of floating a bond measure or raising taxes to pay for capital improvements.
Now just today I see an article that the Pasadena Library receives a $5 million grant for Earthquake Retrofit Improvements.
This is a slap in the face of every housing provider that has to scrape together hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for Soft Story Retrofit and at the same time per persecuted by slanderous accusations of greed.
08/08/2022
1 Item 11, 12, 13
This is another example of why The Pasadena City Council should NOT endorse the Rent Control Ballot Measure.
Please do NOT endorse it.