Capitola residents relieved after City Council approves no-fault eviction ban

The Capitola City Council approved an ordinance Wednesday night to prevent no-fault evictions before a statewide tenant protection law goes into effect. The decision came as a relief for concerned locals.

“I just feel grateful that it passed, I feel really grateful. It means families aren’t going to be homeless right now,” said Ellowyn Leete who was recently served an eviction notice.

Residents at the council meeting were overcome with emotion after hearing they won’t be evicted from their apartments.

The ordinance temporarily prohibits no-fault evictions from now through the end of the year.

The belief is that landlords were taking advantage of new California protections that don’t go into effect until January 1, 2020.

Now that the ordinance passed, City Manager Jamie Goldstein said violators could face hefty fines.

“If anyone were to violate this, obviously the city would step in and it would be a code enforcement matter, which would subject a landlord to fines of up to $500,” Goldstein said.

Back in October, shortly after Governor Newsom signed the law, an entire apartment building on 46th Ave received notices to vacate the property, including tenant Brenda Barnett.

“We have 10 families that are effected, 29 residents, 10 children. All those families. We’re all now looking for the housing. We’re all competing for the same scarce housing in Santa Cruz County,” Barnett said.

According to the notice Barnett shared with KION, they needed to leave because the landlord planned to renovate the units.

She also received a letter from C&C Property Management that they would increase her monthly rent by $845 starting November 1.

And she’s not alone-Watsonville residents under the same property management told KION they’re also receiving notices of eviction and rent hikes.

“If we can’t afford it, where are we going to go? We have children,” Karen Silva, a Watsonville resident, said.
A recent report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition already lists Santa Cruz County as having the 5th highest rent in the U.S.

But the ordinance doesn’t solve the problem of rent HIKES.

“As long as the tenants were given proper notice of the increase, the rent increase goes into effect but only until January 1st,” said Regional Director of California Rural Legal Assistance Gretchen Regenhaut.

Once the new law goes into effect, annual rent increases are limited to 5-10 percent.

KION reached out to C&C property tonight, but they have not responded. The city’s ordinance goes into effect immediately.