The rent control ballot initiative that is currently being circulated for signatures in Long Beach could violate the city’s charter, according to two memos released last month by the city manager’s office.
Housing Long Beach (HLB), a local tenant rights advocacy group, posted photos earlier this month of the same man standing in front of signature gatherers alleging that he was interfering with the effort.
The building manager told tenants that a doubling of their rent had nothing to do with requests for maintenance and everything to do with a proposed rent control ordinance that is currently being circulated for signatures.
It submitted a list of questions to the city attorney and city manager’s office for review prior to the rent control effort potentially reaching its signature threshold in an attempt to provide residents with impartial data on the subject which has already been marked by polarizing language from advocates on both sides of the debate.
Even before the group publicly announced its intentions to put the issue on the ballot property owners have regularly denounced rent control during public comment periods, but now the clashes have transitioned to face-to-face encounters.
The city attorney’s office confirmed yesterday the language of a proposed rent control measure in Long Beach, finally allowing housing advocates to begin a signature-gathering process.
As a local tenants’ rights organization works on getting rent control on the ballot in Long Beach, two housing groups have expressed their opposition to the issue, and in the process revealed that the entire city council along with the mayor share their stance.
