Santa Barbara City Council to give staff Rent Stabilization Ordinance direction

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) The Santa Barbara City Council returned from a summer break with Rent Stabilization on its agenda.hey are discussing an ordinance and listening to public comments.

The Santa Barbara City Council received a summary of a 30 days of public comments that included 655 comments received by the city.

City staff requested director on issues that include exemptions, petition framework, decision making authority, governance, tenant protections and rental registry.

Staff also suggested spending $35-50,000 to do a study but they said it could be discussed at a later date.

Following the presentation the council opened the meeting up to public comments that lasted for a couple of hours.

Key provisions in the proposed ordinance include limiting rent increases on thousands of units citywide and creating a rental registry.

The units would not include new construction.

Rent stabilization and a temporary rent freeze has already led to months of debate between renters and landlords, as well as a lawsuit by landlords against the city.

Supporters of rent stabilization could be heard rallying outside city hall before the item was discussed.

CAUSE Policy Advocated Ana Arce spoke in a megaphone about the hopes of renters.

A man passing by called it communism.

Arce said she didn't hear him but added she tries not to get rattled by people against it.

"We are not asking for us to have free rent what we are asking for is to have sustainable living and like have safe affordable rental units where we can like not feel like we are one paycheck away from being evicted," said Arce.

Housing Provider Rick Lang said Santa Barbara is like Hawaii when it comes to housing costs.

He thinks it is unfair to put the onus on landlords, some who are mom and pop landlords.

"The only way to turn what the real cost is into what people think is affordable requires a subsidy and the subsidies are completely being born by the rental property ownered at the moment they should be carried by the entire community," said Lang.

The meeting is still going in.

The city plans to have ordinance in place by January.

Some landlords said the upcoming election could impact that as well.

Your News Channel will have more on the issue tonight on the news.