Government

Inglewood council extends emergency rent control measure

WAVE NEWSPAPERS — An emergency rent control ordinance limiting rent increases and protecting tenants from short-notice evictions was extended April 16, as city officials pledged to adopt a permanent rent control ordinance within 60 days.

Published

7 years ago

April 23, 2019

posted by Wave Staff

By Wave Staff

INGLEWOOD – An emergency rent control ordinance limiting rent increases and protecting tenants from short-notice evictions was extended April 16, as city officials pledged to adopt a permanent rent control ordinance within 60 days.

The extended emergency ordinance, which applies to apartments in buildings with four or more units built before February 1995, will continue to limit rent increases to 5% a year and protect against 60-day eviction notices when tenants are paid up on their rent.

If officials do not adopt a rent control measure by mid-June, the emergency ordinance can be extended until Dec. 31, officials said.

The issue surfaced last year after several residents and civic activists complained of hefty rent increases — in one case, a 150% hike — by property owners. That nearly $1,500 rent increase went viral on social media, catching the ire of Mayor James T. Butts, who negotiated the increase down to 28%.

Officials then created an online survey urging residents to submit documentation of rent increases of more than 20%. Officials received 20 submissions, Butts said, with residents reporting an average rent hike of 53%.

As the issue continued to percolate, officials adopted an emergency rent control measure last month. The City Council extended that ordinance April 16.

During a standing room only council meeting, Butts presented his plan for a permanent rent control measure, which includes an 8% cap on rent increases for apartments built before February 1995 and a relocation allowance for rent increases above 4%.

The proposed ordinance also would prevent property owners from raising rents more than once in a 12-month period, Butts said, and would establish a “Just Cause Eviction Policy” protecting renters from receiving 60-day eviction notices, except for criminality, drug use or failure to pay rent.

Under an exception to the measure, landlords would be free to raise rents up to 8% without offering relocation allowances if they can prove their tenant’s rent is less than 80% of market rental rate in Inglewood.

Butts applauded the city’s proposed measure, saying that it could end up becoming “the premiere housing protection ordinance in the country.”

Many property owners oppose the ordinance, however, saying that they’ve kept rents significantly below market rate for years. Their biggest concern now, they say, is relocation allowances of more than $11,000.

Longtime residents and activists also weren’t as complimentary of the ordinance, speaking out against portions of the proposal during public comment.

“Homelessness; that’s what people are facing in Inglewood,” said Julia Wallace, who has lived in Inglewood since 1991. “We need to keep people in Inglewood, not just give (them) a consolation prize for getting kicked,” she said, referencing the relocation allowances.

Tenants rights activist Jorge Rivera and some residents also denounced the 8% rent hike cap, saying that it far exceeds industry standards.

“Generally speaking, rent control ordinances generally stay within the range of 3%,” said Rivera, a regional coordinator for Tenants Together, a statewide tenants rights group. “That’s because it’s supposed to be kept in accordance with the cost of inflation and income increases.”

Rivera said Inglewood’s NFL’s Stadium and Entertainment Complex development makes Inglewood’s rising rent situation unique.

“I think [the stadium] is bringing a lot of investment dollars into the city, but … when there’s more investment into a typically and historically disinvested communities, you’re going to see large amounts of displacement and what people refer to as gentrification,” he said.

“We need to keep people in their homes because we believe that these type of policies like rent control [are] not just stabilizing communities, but [they’re] also a form of homeless prevention,” he added.

“Rent control is not a silver bullet but it’s a step in the right direction.”

Butts said officials ultimately will adopt legislation that balances the interests of local residents with the rights of property owners who want the ability to provide market-rate housing.

District 3 Councilman Eloy Morales agreed, adding: “Nobody is going to be 100% happy when this over.”

In the end, the city’s long-term interests must be protected and advanced, added District 2 Inglewood City Councilman Alex Padilla.

“We’re going to continue to look at this and make the right decision for the city of Inglewood,” he said.

This article originally appeared in the Wave Newspapers.

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Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

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20 hours ago

September 7, 2026

Oakland Post

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Longtime BWOPA Member Brendalyn Goodall Appointed to California Workforce Development Board

Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed longtime Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) member Brendalynn Goodall to the California Workforce Development Board. Goodall, an Oakland resident with decades of experience in public service, has held leadership positions focused on

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1 week ago

August 30, 2026

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Post Co-Publisher Gay Plair Cobb with Brendalynn Goodall. Courtesy photo.

By California Black Media

Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed longtime Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) member Brendalynn Goodall to the California Workforce Development Board.

Goodall, an Oakland resident with decades of experience in public service, has held leadership positions focused on employment, aging services and assistance for underserved communities.

“Brendalynn will be a great addition to this Board,” said Gay Plair Cobb, who served as former state Assemblyman Sandre Swanson’s alternate to the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB).

“She understands that California’s non-profit organizations serve persons who have the most significant barriers to their labor market success and that the Board should help these groups navigate the complicated requirements of state funding.

“In other words, she will be a strong advocate for our most marginalized populations. Her voice is needed now, more than ever.”

CWDB works with the governor to shape workforce policies, programs and investments designed to strengthen the state’s economy. It collaborates with employers, workers, labor organizations, educational institutions, community groups and California’s 45 local workforce development boards to expand access to quality jobs and respond to regional employment needs.

According to the board, its work includes coordinating state programs and guiding investments in workforce training and development.

BWOPA California celebrated the appointment, describing Goodall as a dedicated advocate for workers, families and older adults.

“Her appointment reflects a lifetime of leadership, service, and unwavering commitment to strengthening California’s workforce and expanding opportunity for all,” the organization stated in a press release.

Goodall served as summer jobs program coordinator in the Oakland Mayor’s Office from 2012 to 2014. In that position, she helped connect young people with employment opportunities and job experience.

Before joining the Mayor’s Office, Goodall was division manager for Aging and Adult Services in the City of Oakland Human Services Department from 2002 to 2011. She previously served as senior services supervisor and program director for the city’s Department of Aging, Health and Human Services from 1990 to 2002.

Goodall is also a member of the California Commission on Aging, which advises the governor and state officials on policies and programs affecting older Californians.

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‘Passing a Law Isn’t The Finish Line’: California Assembly Evaluates Implementation, Results

A separate review found that the California Public Utilities Commission’s implementation of AB 2316 had not fulfilled the law’s intent or produced new community solar projects. In response, Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego) introduced AB 1813, legislation to overhaul the state’s renewable energy program and increase access to solar technology.

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California State Assembly Chamber. Photo courtesy of California State Assembly.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

California lawmakers are finding that laws passed in Sacramento do not always work as intended once implemented. A new Assembly oversight program has identified gaps in laws addressing wildfire recovery, insurance, foster care and clean energy.

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) announced Aug. 17 that the Assembly had completed the first year of its Outcomes Review program. Billed as the first initiative of its kind in the nation, the program enlisted 15 Assembly members to evaluate 14 laws they authored or championed. Through public hearings and community meetings, lawmakers assessed whether the measures were producing their intended results.

“Passing a law isn’t the finish line,” said Rivas. “The Outcomes Review project makes sure we’re checking our work.”

The reviews identified both successes and shortcomings. The expansion of telehealth largely improved access to care and provided patients with greater flexibility. Affordable housing financing reforms also strengthened coordination among state agencies and could reduce duplicative paperwork, development costs and delays.

Other reviews uncovered more significant implementation problems.

One focused on Assembly Bill (AB) 238, which was enacted after the Eaton and Palisades fires to provide eligible borrowers with up to 12 months of emergency mortgage forbearance. The review found lender noncompliance, insufficient consumer complaint data and a need for stronger coordination between state and federal agencies.

Those findings helped shape AB 1842 and AB 1847, both victim-protection bills that are currently pending in the Senate.

After discovering that California’s FAIR Plan clearinghouse was failing to transition affected homeowners back into the private insurance market, Assemblymember Lisa Calderon (D-Whittier) introduced AB 69 to fix the issue.

Lawmakers also found that the FAIR Plan clearinghouse was not effectively helping homeowners move into the traditional insurance market, prompting the introduction of AB 69, legislation adding new reporting, notification, and access requirements.

The program identified additional implementation problems related to foster care placement protections, oversight of charitable fundraising and wage theft enforcement.

Rivas said the findings demonstrate the need for lawmakers to continue evaluating legislation after it takes effect.

“This isn’t oversight for its own sake — it’s what accountability looks like, and we’re just getting started,” he said.

The Assembly plans to expand the Outcomes Review program in 2027 by involving more lawmakers and holding additional public hearings and community meetings. The next phase, according to Rivas, will build on the pilot year as lawmakers seek to identify implementation problems earlier and improve how state laws work in practice.