. RECEIVE
San Jose City Clerk 09/08/23
OT Vue
Hi Mr Mayor & City council, 2023 SEP -8 PM 2: k6
Unfortunately I had experience technical difficulties during the housing council meeting yesterday morning. I tried ample times and I was not able to submit commentary. I was using a public library computer and when I had stepped away to use the restroom, someone had closed out my window with the mtg to retrieve my ID# to include. I hope this will be included in that sessions commentary.
Thank you!!!
* RE-In progress meeting (Study Session)-Affordable Housing Strategies: Production, Preservation & Protection (My commentary notes):
How does the city make sure the landlords/owners/property managers are adhering to the 5% rent increase? Do you fine them if they aren't following the ordinance? Reason being I had a landlord that had charged 6% vs the 5% and evicted us because we refused to pay the rent until he adjusted it per the ordinance. He then created an LLC and only made me pay to that vs paying him directly, as I had been. Another tenant had informed that other tenants still pay him directly.
There should be an ordinance on sub leaser rights. Why I say this is I have had a master tenant tell me I couldn't have kitchen access and barely used the bathroom as I had worked about 50 hrs/wk and I was rarely home. He then told me I had to pay $100 more because of pge? I was rarely home. So there should be a way a sub leaser can inquire to the utility companies (water, trash, pge, cable, phone, internet) to see the bill due and previous ones to make comparisons for such an increase. He also did this after 5months of residing in the unit. Leading into that, California renters should have a legal right in the rental, to the kitchen, bathroom and laundry facility.
In another experience, I had a roommate try to tell me I could use the kitchen anymore when my boyfriend paid more than 1/3 of the rent for the 3bdrm we had and she resided in the apt with her 2kids and we didn’t even occupy the main areas as it was full of her property. This same roommate tried to have my friend tell me to leave but he didn’t want to and he was a master tenant as well. I had consulted 2 legal housing reps and they explained she couldn’t do that. Further I had tried to apply to be added to the lease and she told him I couldn’t. So I had asked the property group and they told me I needed all parties to submit the request?!
After consulting the San Jose city attorney and the SJ housing dept, sub-leasers should not have their rights dictated by a shady 3rd party site (IE Roomies) state your rights. I had expressed my issues to both of those depts and the city attorney had told me that I had to see what the EULA for the website I found my roommate at to see how my “lease” setup was worded.
I feel rental properties should be required to have fax, email, live chat, a lock drop box outside their gate (if they have one) as in my current situation I can not afford USPS stamps and I do not have a computer or WiFi. Rentals should also have a phone line to help public inquiries and residents communicate with them. I had one place refuse my call as my phone I had used was a restricted number.
09/08/23
The federal government should require all property managers/owners follow the proper form/s to entry into your unit, especially for any 3rd party vendors. If the renter can not be present, I feel the property manager should be present to avoid damage by the vendor and or malicious activity.
The city, county, state and federal government should give priority housing to single VETERAN mothers, single VETERAN fathers and VETERAN families in all housing types.
As we are the #1 most expensive place to rent in, I feel that all these major companies (Alphabet- Google, Meta-Facebook, Instagram etc)should help with low income/subsidized housing as they're causing the disparity among classes and especially the homeless.
Property management companies and or owners should not be allowed to tamper with your unit access or monitor it. I had resided in a property where they made us have a "smart lock" on our main door. With that "smart lock,’ they could see when we locked the door or not. Further they would only give a code to the lease holders and not myself as a sub leaser. One of the other roommates would also PURPOSEFULLY remotely lock the door while taking the trash out. Further that "smart lock" required a "smart phone." As I had no phone and no money to go buy a smart phone, I of course couldn't use it and I had to rely on my friends access and presence. This same property group made my friend renew the lease via email with esignature and illegally got his IP address and had it listed on the application and his renewal application. There should also be a law against roommates putting illegal live recording devices in a shared space and especially point at another roommates room. Also that just because you're a lease holder, doesn’t give you the right to try and enter other roommates rooms or even touch the door unless in the event of an emergency. My previous roommates had done this ample times and they had even tried this while I was using the restroom.
Leading into that, property groups should not make you submit your information ONLY by email or their website where they make you create an account and agree to their website terms. Applicants and residents should have the capability to submit this in person, fax and or USPS post.
Regarding case managers for the homeless, they should be able to give commentary on their aspect on what can be improved or added to the VISPDAT, DV VISPDAT and or HMIS system. One place stated they aren’t allowed to give me feedback and that they had a designated rep that handles public forums. That rep only provides stats and that is all.
Lastly there isn’t one fix all approach to the housing crisis with this city, county and even state.
Because of the tech companies that higher individuals not natives to the area, there has to be more housing built for all classes of people and California hasn’t really handled the drastic rise in homelessness throughout the state. Funding is an obvious factor.