The City of Salinas to hold a rent stabilization ordinance meeting

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) – The City of Salinas will be addressing its housing crisis this week in Tuesday's city council meeting.

The formal introduction of rent stabilization and tenant protections are slated to be discusses, as well as community concerns, which have been in the works for months, according to the city.

According to a city report, the program has three ordinances; rent stabilization, tenant harassment prevention and just-cause evictions.

If the council moves forward with the program in Tuesday's meeting, the ordinances would be adopted on September 24, taking effect on January 1, 2025, according to the City of Salinas.

The city is now trying to decide how to effectively implement and manage the program with two options being considered; hiring between three and six additional staff members, costing the city approximately $1.2 million, or to bring in a consultant to provide specialty services, according to the city.

The City of Salinas says that it plans to recover its costs by charging a fee to property owners renting units, and the amount of the fee will be determined pending the program's adoption.

The City of Salinas is hosting a community meeting to discuss up-to-date information regarding the draft rent stabilization ordinance. 

The city describes this ordinance as proposed local government policy aimed to control the increase in rental prices in order to protect tenants from excessive hikes in rent. 

This meeting will be taking place on August 1 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Salinas PAL center. 

There will be food and translation services provided during the meeting.