News

Mountain View City Council votes to shake up city's Rental Housing Committee

Emily Ramos, left, has been reappointed to serve on Mountain View's Rental Housing Committee. Photo by Magali Gauthier

Mountain View's Rental Housing Committee (RHC), tasked with overseeing rent control in the city, is poised for big changes this year after the City Council voted Tuesday to demote one of the longest-serving members in favor of a newcomer.

After two rounds of votes, council members agreed to add Guadalupe Rosas -- a mobile home owner and union representative for Workers United -- to the committee for a four-year term, while reappointing Emily Ramos and Nicole Haines-Livesay. In doing so, council members bumped Matt Grunewald, who has served on the RHC since its inception in 2017, to an "alternate" member.

Alternate members only participate in meetings where there is an absence, effectively keeping him out of most meetings.

The high-profile committee plays an important role in setting the ground rules for landlords and tenants under the city's rent control law, the Community Stabilization and Fair Rent Act (CSFRA). Though the committee must stick to the framework of the voter-approved law, the first four years have shown there's plenty of room for interpretation.

Committee members clashed on annual limits on rent increases, and sparred over whether the law applies to mobile homes.

Help sustain the local news you depend on.

Your contribution matters. Become a member today.

Join

For some council members, the current roster works fine. Councilwoman Margaret Abe-Koga said she supported reappointing Grunewald, Ramos and Haines-Livesay and keeping the existing balance on the RHC, suggesting that the committee ought to be level-headed and analytical rather than craft policy around emotion. Councilman Lucas Ramirez took the same approach, despite being at odds with Grunewald's past decisions.

"I don't agree with a lot of committee member Grunewald's votes, and I think that's okay," Ramirez said. "I think he brings an important perspective, and he also is a stakeholder ... as the only sitting member who owns rental property."

Grunewald owns a rental property in San Francisco, granting him experience as a landlord without having financial stakes in his decisions on the RHC. Though Grunewald was often considered the swing vote in major decisions, he was among the majority who voted to oppose extending rent control to mobile homes.

But others were looking for a shake up on the committee. Councilwoman Pat Showalter said the RHC had a "rocky start" because members of the committee were not supportive or outright hostile to rent control. She argued that new and reappointed members should commit to making the law work, and view rent control as a means to keep tenants housed.

"The real reason for the CSFRA is to provide stability in our community, particularly for our more vulnerable members," she said.

Stay informed

Get daily headlines sent straight to your inbox in our Express newsletter.

Stay informed

Get daily headlines sent straight to your inbox in our Express newsletter.

Showalter, along with councilwomen Sally Lieber and Alison Hicks, did not support reappointing Grunewald. Hicks said she was particularly concerned by Grunewald's comments regarding the possibility of suspending parts of the rent control law while vacancy rates have spiked during COVID-19. The committee ultimately declined to peel back parts of the law -- and Grunewald opposed even exploring the idea -- but she said it was a cause for concern.

"I just think to entertain that idea ... while we're sheltering in place and while some peoples' rents are still going up is a step too far for me," Hicks said.

In a tight vote, Nicole Haines-Livesay has retained her seat on the Rental Housing Committee. Photo by Magali Gauthier

Replacing Grunewald as a full-time member will be Rosas, a resident of the Santiago Villa mobile home park. Rosas works as a union representative for Workers United, and describes herself as a long-time community organizer. She also speaks Spanish and is well-connected with the Latino community in Mountain View, which she said is important in engaging residents who are otherwise detached from civic action.

"I believe I can bring a lot of people who don't understand the CSFRA and let them know that this is a live document, that they have the power to learn it, to understand it and to be okay with it," Rosas said.

Rosas and Ramos received the most support at the March 23 meeting -- getting votes from six of the seven council members. But the last appointment and alternate seat came down to a three-way tie between Haines-Livesay, Grunewald and Keating Rhoads, a retired resident who owns a single-family rental in San Francisco.

In a runoff vote, Mountain View Mayor Ellen Kamei, Councilwoman Lisa Matichak and council members Abe-Koga and Ramirez voted for Grunewald as their first choice, followed by Haines-Livesay and Rhoads. Councilwomen Lieber, Showalter and Hicks chose Grunewald as their last pick, preferring either Haines-Livesay or Rhoads. The vote created a clear divide between council members, and gave Haines-Livesay a slight edge to retain her seat.

Council members will formally appoint the members of the Rental Housing Committee next month.

Craving a new voice in Peninsula dining?

Sign up for the Peninsula Foodist newsletter.

Sign up now
Kevin Forestieri
Kevin Forestieri is an assistant editor with the Mountain View Voice and The Almanac. He joined the Voice in 2014 and has reported on schools, housing, crime and health. Read more >>

Follow Mountain View Voice Online on Twitter @mvvoice, Facebook and on Instagram @mvvoice for breaking news, local events, photos, videos and more.

Get uninterrupted access to important local city government news. Become a member today.

Mountain View City Council votes to shake up city's Rental Housing Committee

by / Mountain View Voice

Uploaded: Wed, Mar 24, 2021, 1:08 pm

Mountain View's Rental Housing Committee (RHC), tasked with overseeing rent control in the city, is poised for big changes this year after the City Council voted Tuesday to demote one of the longest-serving members in favor of a newcomer.

After two rounds of votes, council members agreed to add Guadalupe Rosas -- a mobile home owner and union representative for Workers United -- to the committee for a four-year term, while reappointing Emily Ramos and Nicole Haines-Livesay. In doing so, council members bumped Matt Grunewald, who has served on the RHC since its inception in 2017, to an "alternate" member.

Alternate members only participate in meetings where there is an absence, effectively keeping him out of most meetings.

The high-profile committee plays an important role in setting the ground rules for landlords and tenants under the city's rent control law, the Community Stabilization and Fair Rent Act (CSFRA). Though the committee must stick to the framework of the voter-approved law, the first four years have shown there's plenty of room for interpretation.

Committee members clashed on annual limits on rent increases, and sparred over whether the law applies to mobile homes.

For some council members, the current roster works fine. Councilwoman Margaret Abe-Koga said she supported reappointing Grunewald, Ramos and Haines-Livesay and keeping the existing balance on the RHC, suggesting that the committee ought to be level-headed and analytical rather than craft policy around emotion. Councilman Lucas Ramirez took the same approach, despite being at odds with Grunewald's past decisions.

"I don't agree with a lot of committee member Grunewald's votes, and I think that's okay," Ramirez said. "I think he brings an important perspective, and he also is a stakeholder ... as the only sitting member who owns rental property."

Grunewald owns a rental property in San Francisco, granting him experience as a landlord without having financial stakes in his decisions on the RHC. Though Grunewald was often considered the swing vote in major decisions, he was among the majority who voted to oppose extending rent control to mobile homes.

But others were looking for a shake up on the committee. Councilwoman Pat Showalter said the RHC had a "rocky start" because members of the committee were not supportive or outright hostile to rent control. She argued that new and reappointed members should commit to making the law work, and view rent control as a means to keep tenants housed.

"The real reason for the CSFRA is to provide stability in our community, particularly for our more vulnerable members," she said.

Showalter, along with councilwomen Sally Lieber and Alison Hicks, did not support reappointing Grunewald. Hicks said she was particularly concerned by Grunewald's comments regarding the possibility of suspending parts of the rent control law while vacancy rates have spiked during COVID-19. The committee ultimately declined to peel back parts of the law -- and Grunewald opposed even exploring the idea -- but she said it was a cause for concern.

"I just think to entertain that idea ... while we're sheltering in place and while some peoples' rents are still going up is a step too far for me," Hicks said.

Replacing Grunewald as a full-time member will be Rosas, a resident of the Santiago Villa mobile home park. Rosas works as a union representative for Workers United, and describes herself as a long-time community organizer. She also speaks Spanish and is well-connected with the Latino community in Mountain View, which she said is important in engaging residents who are otherwise detached from civic action.

"I believe I can bring a lot of people who don't understand the CSFRA and let them know that this is a live document, that they have the power to learn it, to understand it and to be okay with it," Rosas said.

Rosas and Ramos received the most support at the March 23 meeting -- getting votes from six of the seven council members. But the last appointment and alternate seat came down to a three-way tie between Haines-Livesay, Grunewald and Keating Rhoads, a retired resident who owns a single-family rental in San Francisco.

In a runoff vote, Mountain View Mayor Ellen Kamei, Councilwoman Lisa Matichak and council members Abe-Koga and Ramirez voted for Grunewald as their first choice, followed by Haines-Livesay and Rhoads. Councilwomen Lieber, Showalter and Hicks chose Grunewald as their last pick, preferring either Haines-Livesay or Rhoads. The vote created a clear divide between council members, and gave Haines-Livesay a slight edge to retain her seat.

Council members will formally appoint the members of the Rental Housing Committee next month.

Comments

Name hidden
Old Mountain View

Registered user
on Mar 25, 2021 at 2:32 pm
Name hidden, Old Mountain View

Registered user
on Mar 25, 2021 at 2:32 pm

Due to repeated violations of our Terms of Use, comments from this poster are automatically removed. Why?


Polomom
Registered user
Waverly Park
on Mar 28, 2021 at 11:35 am
Polomom, Waverly Park
Registered user
on Mar 28, 2021 at 11:35 am

Zillow is very up to date on rental listings. We have a number of pre 95 complexes that have a 10% vacancy rate. For anybody to see. So Mr. Grunewald's concern seems valid. Obviously if taking all rent control buildings as one number it will get harder and harder to determine the vacancy % as we are currently tearing down huge complexes (pre 95) along Middlefield and Shoreline. Hopefully those numbers are getting subtracted from the total rent control apartment numbers when determining the vacancy rate. 5% was set as number for abandoning the RHC.


JustAWorkingStiff
Registered user
Another Mountain View Neighborhood
on Mar 29, 2021 at 2:06 am
JustAWorkingStiff, Another Mountain View Neighborhood
Registered user
on Mar 29, 2021 at 2:06 am

Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government program.
Milton Friedman (1976 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his research on consumption analysis, monetary history and theory and the complexity of stabilization policy.)

This program was pitched as at 5% vacancy it would be abandoned. The fact that they will
not even begin looking into it is unsurprising. Pushing out the person who would like to look into it is not unsurprising. Rents are dropping. Yet we maintain this bureaucracy. Go figure.


Don't miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to be notified of new comments on this topic.

Post a comment

Sorry, but further commenting on this topic has been closed.