Residents urge Council to use Measure JJ funds for emergency rental aid and tenant protections

A series of public commenters told the City Council April 22 that housing preservation and tenant protections should be elevated in the city’s next work plan and in the use of Measure JJ funds.

"Please don't enforce a thick tome of rules when a thin pamphlet would do," Grace Poppel told the council, arguing that broad enforcement of tier‑3 code provisions could punish residents who have made informal improvements to save water or create parking. Several speakers asked the council to invest 40% of Measure JJ funds in emergency tenant rental assistance, with additional allocations for land‑trust support and housing preservation.

Speakers advocated strengthening the city’s rental registry—particularly for single‑family homes owned by absentee landlords—and adding annual health and safety inspections to protect tenants. "I urge you to keep that in mind," a longtime resident said when urging the council to update the Westside area plan and to maintain tenant safeguards.

Council members acknowledged the public’s calls and flagged a number of housing projects already on the staff’s carryover list, including rent-registry implementation, first‑time homebuyer assistance, and home‑repair programs. Staff and consultants said tonight’s prioritization would feed a public outreach effort and a June return with budget implications before any formal adoption.

The council did not adopt any new spending tonight; staff will evaluate the prioritized projects and the budget needed to implement programs such as emergency rental assistance and the proposed home‑repair fund.