Let's dig into the 22 page Burlingame "Community Protection" ordinance a bit starting with the Rental Housing Commission in section 20.40.100. It is to be at least 3 tenants. So that would mean it could be all tenants since it doesn't also say it shall be at least 2 landlords--it just says no more than 2 landlords. So when you read letters to the editor like the one in yesterday's Daily Post by local Elana Lieberman stating we need to empower "an independent commission, comprised of the stakeholders -- landlords and tenants --appointed by city council to provide accountability" you should realize that the letter writer is making an assumption that may not hold true and certainly is not required to be true.
Check out what applicants to the commission need to file with the city and the public
The application shall include a statement under penalty of perjury of the applicant's interests and dealings in real property, including but not limited to, ownership, trusteeship, sale, or management, and investment in and association with partnerships, corporations, joint ventures, and syndicates engaged in ownership, sale, or management of real property during the three (3) years immediately prior to the applicant’s application. This documentation shall be made available to the public.
Heck, you can run for City Council or apply to any of the other City commissions just by showing you are a B'game resident. If elected to the Council then you have to provide a bit more about your investments, but you don't have to invite the public into your entire business dealings. What landlord or realtor would voluntarily handover all of that information? This commission is rigged from the start by composition and disclosure requirements. Period.
This is most unfortunate. You have to wonder if the Facebook founder really knows any of the details about how egregious the CLSEPA efforts have been.
----------------------
Buoyed by the success of Facebook’s founder and his wife, the philanthropic Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is delving into the Bay Area’s housing crisis by funding legal support and advocacy for tenants facing displacement.
The nonprofit founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan announced Monday it would provide support to two nonprofits battling on the front lines of the affordable housing crisis. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative will provide a $3.1 million grant to Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto, or CLSEPA, and $500,000 to the University of California at Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation.
- See more at: http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2017-02-07/tech-founder-funds-affordable-housing-nonprofit-chan-zuckerberg-initiative-offers-31m-to-east-palo-alto-legal-aid-group/1776425175480.html#sthash.v41Q5TUU.dpuf
Posted by: Joe | February 07, 2017 at 09:34 AM