[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6655102,"mediaKeyId","5421817-5a283456d6e14a493988901f2689be46","parentId",5421817,"title","Rent board receives Bay Area tenant survey: awareness high but enforcement, outreach gaps persist","audioSeconds",2009,"startMs",852000,"endMs",2861000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5421817-5a283456d6e14a493988901f2689be46&start=852&end=2861","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5421817-5a283456d6e14a493988901f2689be46/thumbnail_852000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6655102/Richmond/Contra-Costa-County/California/Rent-board-receives-Bay-Area-tenant-survey-awareness-high-but-enforcement-outreach-gaps-persist","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6655102-b6a930180b1bbf326f8adcfc5bf9c4b1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770561929&Signature=aLVVBllLSM1wNwHJtmcxu48Rqh4jfIn8--JdL-LNaIkNxVtgcBzeWoBt~6xGM3HDuo89~jupfKfa5tUOln8gDCAqSEa4TXZMhTTnMRii4yagth4AWKteMaFboGmfwANVyR1Rgf-QGiSeEKeUFmnwB7V-ItrJryeSl7rOkSNss4g9BjJjyreHF2QZZAw7KXI33glGkw9L4tOHjyx-hSf54FpmNnaAmzOGrTinrIIEdQdBZ3L55tGfgDofGvgBSgEyw6JgezLZzCbYEhVg7GrJUjxi6h82tfdLSdfZm2GSThCSFjnW2JOp-aU3DC6tdbEC29lA3NCi1Llnm1pC5TqMuQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-07-18T11:18:12.5Z","article","The Richmond Rent Board on July 16 received a staff report on the 2024 tenant survey conducted in partnership with UC Berkeley's Othering and Belonging Institute and CSU Fullerton's Social Science Research Center. The study, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, yielded 800 completed surveys across three cities, including 400 respondents from Richmond (200 from rent-stabilized tenancies and 200 from partially covered or non-stabilized tenancies).

Executive Director Nicholas Traylor told the board the study was conducted under Richmond Municipal Code section 11.10.06(e) to assess the effects of rent stabilization. Traylor summarized the methodology: the program provided a list of over 20,000 rental addresses, a stratified sample of about 16,800 households was selected, and the program achieved the target of 400 completed Richmond surveys. Staff said participation was voluntary, incentivized with $10 gift cards, and the survey was bilingual (English and Spanish).

Key findings presented to the board included: high awareness of the city's rent ordinance (about 82% of respondents) and 60% awareness of the rent program; lower awareness among younger tenants and tenants identifying as Black or Latinx; rent-stabilized tenants were more likely to be younger, immigrant, and occupy smaller units; while rent-stabilized tenants paid lower rent on average they reported higher financial stress, greater concern about eviction, and more housing issues than non-stabilized tenants.

The survey flagged several enforcement and outreach concerns. Many tenants reported fear of retaliation when requesting repairs and described landlords telling them they would have to pay for repairs (which staff said is not allowed). The staff presentation highlighted that perceptions of landlords' responses—whether accurate or not—undermine tenants' willingness to assert their rights. Traylor said those findings point to a need for more targeted outreach and education, particularly for younger tenants and tenants who are Black, Latinx or immigrants, and for stronger collaboration with the city's Community Development Department on rental inspection and habitability enforcement.

Board members asked questions about the low Spanish-language response rate; Traylor said the mailings and postcards were bilingual but suggested concerns about government surveys within immigrant or undocumented communities might have reduced Spanish responses.

The board received the report (no formal action required). Staff said the findings will inform outreach planning, education for tenants and landlords, possible budget priorities for outreach and mediation workshops, and revisions to the rental inspection program to avoid checklist items that in practice assign blame to tenants for maintenance issues.

Ending: The survey results will be used to guide targeted outreach, to refine enforcement and inspection coordination with the city, and to inform future program priorities and potential budget requests.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Richmond Rent Board Meeting - 7/16/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Richmond Rent Board received results of a 2024 tenant survey showing high awareness of the city's rent ordinance but also persistent enforcement and outreach gaps, especially among younger renters and some Black, Latinx and immigrant households.","taxTitle","Richmond, Contra Costa County, California","taxId",4317,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6655107,"Richmond Rent Board affirms strict tenant buyout policy, directs staff to seek city ordinance",3338,2909000,6247000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5421817-5a283456d6e14a493988901f2689be46&start=2909&end=6247","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5421817-5a283456d6e14a493988901f2689be46/thumbnail_2909000.jpg","/articles/6655107/Richmond/Contra-Costa-County/California/Richmond-Rent-Board-affirms-strict-tenant-buyout-policy-directs-staff-to-seek-city-ordinance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6655107-6c02ca38119daaa121675013ea126910/orig.mp4?Expires=1770561929&Signature=WPPEpi34RwPIcmJ3dTT8ijHej24IEw6VyLa-R6FplBd0VSyN-Zpg7Z3O-TuSW3sF2a1sVb-GkSxMLGL60PtEWCI739tZbiI0cjZiDc2pIrHr59NFsl29WCzt~42QbO46Ed7sq7oX8NGAox~cmCIwN37lnNBMBQoAZu7-PA5LCMnSbDq1rt26gUB7V098Q9M1LGdD2I5glI81NznxyaOL9ct38mqTp9hMVexl0BfeWV6Af~5iqCbyQzP2VzZn-4AWrOYr6sOdros1E2Fo7l~zMh~dR34Ht9UDMgIejTKkUPVk9sIUyQfLikbGUpd3iQ-sgwJi-CkFnl-ll4TBWAUgUQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Richmond Rent Board on July 16 unanimously affirmed the board's previously adopted high-oversight tenant buyout agreement policy (Option 3) and directed staff to present that policy at a Richmond City Council study session in September 2025 and to work with the city attorney to draft a buyout agreement ordinance for consideration in October or November 2025.

Board members voted unanimously to advance the policy after staff described Option 3 as the most comprehensive regulatory approach the board considered. The board's action directs program staff to present the board-approved policy to the City Council in September and to return with a draft ordinance later in the fall.

Why it matters: The policy would regulate private \"buyout\" agreements—cases in which a landlord offers a payment for a tenant to voluntarily vacate—to reduce coercion, require language accessibility and rescission rights, and create transparency and enforcement mechanisms. Staff and board members said a formal ordinance would make minimum protections enforceable and help the city track displacement and the effect of buyouts on affordable housing.

Under Option 3, described by staff, key elements include: a longer rescission (cooling-off) period (45 days in the policy option), minimum payout levels tied to the city's relocation ordinance for withdrawals from the rental market, proactive outreach by the Rent Program to tenants when buyouts are filed, a public database of filed agreements, civil penalties (up to $1,000 per violation in the proposal), and a private right of action for tenants. Staff characterized the approach as a floor: parties could negotiate larger payments but not less than the minimum amount set by relocation rules.

Executive Director Nicholas Traylor and General Counsel Charles Oshunaga responded to detailed questions from board members about how the minimum amounts are calculated, timing of payments, rescission mechanics and the potential need for escrow or other payment sequencing. Traylor said the minimum payout amounts the board discussed would mirror relocation amounts already set by the city for evictions tied to market withdrawal, and Oshunaga explained procedural steps and legal distinctions between buyout agreements (private contracts) and evictions under the rent ordinance.

Board discussion focused on several operational and fairness concerns: whether a rescission period should be symmetric for landlords and tenants (several board members said an identical rescission right for landlords could create financial harm to tenants), how payment timing should interact with the rescission period so tenants receive funds in time to secure replacement housing, and whether the Rent Program should hold funds in escrow (staff cautioned escrow would require additional program accounting and potentially higher fees). Members also discussed risks of predatory actors on both sides and the need for clear contract language about vacate dates and rescission consequences.

Traylor told the board the recommended next steps are a City Council study session in September 2025 followed by ordinance drafting with the city attorney and expected return for council consideration in October or November 2025. The board's vote at the close of the item was unanimous.

Ending: By affirming Option 3 and instructing staff to seek a City Council ordinance, the Rent Board set a path to move the proposed buyout protections from board policy into enforceable city law if the council approves the draft ordinance.","The Rent Board unanimously affirmed its previously adopted high-oversight tenant buyout policy (Option 3), directing staff to present the policy at a City Council study session in September 2025 and to work with the city attorney to draft an ordinance for consideration in October/November 2025.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6655098,"Rent Board approves proclamation to honor former members, schedules special meeting Sept. 30",451,332000,783000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5421817-5a283456d6e14a493988901f2689be46&start=332&end=783","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5421817-5a283456d6e14a493988901f2689be46/thumbnail_332000.jpg","/articles/6655098/Richmond/Contra-Costa-County/California/Rent-Board-approves-proclamation-to-honor-former-members-schedules-special-meeting-Sept-30","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6655098-2391af3b92a61a614ec8d6165d581ac5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770561929&Signature=hszdAw3lvIqFpElBIrpl-q3ebyUhZwOoRZssJ8nFlOYQKTDpHkbWroVB1Tze706W7QFvUGA7osc153yhEy~R~crUVA719gDI0V87rDt6IF6JvGJWzEDNI07M667WO9ZBecSzIYr~Uf9ya0KLSn2fDQsIBQPlJd8lguO3d0TpBqoUTg7ZcGwZGr6jW1Qh3NFEpRmsBslC0sEYo1uG8SmDP2Y2t34Vq9Wv9v18mO-Saipgxx3lRzT4abpf7xcMPtvvt~g~IDKPHd9aOupacHxPeIu1FnI476RaNAVFzn80xYBqh24FlQCIaPDTTeSADDQmV1yaUgNcd7m9W9yCic6GvA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Richmond Rent Board on July 16 approved a final proclamation of appreciation for former board members and directed staff to schedule a special meeting on Sept. 30, 2025 (or another date approved by the board) to honor past members. The board also directed staff to mail proclamations to former members who cannot attend the special meeting.

Staff told the board there is no fiscal impact for the proclamation item because funding was previously allocated in fiscal year 2024-25. The presentation stated that since the rent board's establishment in 2017, 12 individuals have served as board members and that a plaque and individual proclamations were previously approved; Resolution 2401 was adopted in early 2024 to institutionalize recognition efforts.

Cordell Handler, a Richmond resident who said he co-sponsored the item, spoke in support and urged the board to schedule the Sept. 30 meeting. Board members amended a motion to explicitly direct staff to schedule the special meeting, invite former members, and mail proclamations to those who cannot attend. The amended motion passed unanimously.

Ending: The board's unanimous approval sets staff to schedule and organize a special meeting in late September 2025 to recognize prior Rent Board members and to mail proclamations to those who cannot attend in person.","The Richmond Rent Board approved a final proclamation of appreciation for former board members and directed staff to schedule a special meeting on Sept. 30, 2025 (or another board-approved date) to present proclamations; the board also instructed staff to mail proclamations to those unable to attend.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Rent board receives Bay Area tenant survey: awareness high but enforcement, outreach gaps persist

Richmond Rent Board affirms strict tenant buyout policy, directs staff to seek city ordinance

Rent Board approves proclamation to honor former members, schedules special meeting Sept. 30