Bearing in mind that tenants are worried about losing their homes and landlords are wary of regulation, city leaders will explore policies to stem the tide of rising rents in Concord.
The City Council plans to study the programs other cities have adopted such as rent control, "just cause" eviction, mediation, a moratorium on rent increases and programs that reward landlords who voluntarily agree to limit rent hikes and offer long-term leases.
At a recent workshop, council members asked city staff to determine how many property owners have imposed multiple triple-digit rent increases and the number whose buildings would be subject to rent control. The council also want staff to develop strategies for dealing with "bad apple" landlords who are raising rents and refusing to make repairs or exterminate pests.
Council members sympathized with residents who may be priced out of their apartments, and small-building owners who say they have kept rents below market rate despite climbing sewer, trash and water rates.
Councilman Edi Birsan praised small landlords' "ethical behavior" and suggested the city might consider a policy that targets large corporations that own or manage hundreds of units.
"I look forward to something that protects the little guys," he said.
The Housing and Economic Development Committee will review the policies and make a recommendation for the full council's consideration.
The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Concord is $1,474, and two bedrooms rent for $1,587, according to Real Answers, a Novato multifamily housing research firm.
In the Bay Area, Berkeley, Oakland, East Palo Alto, Hayward, Los Gatos, San Francisco and San Jose have rent control. Under state law, single-family homes and condominiums are exempt from rent control; so are apartments built after 1995.
Of the 9,400 apartment units in Concord, 8,886 would be subject to rent control, according to the city.
Although advocates for tenants and landlords agree that housing construction has not kept pace with the Bay Area's red-hot job growth, they support different strategies to address the ripple effects of the shortage on the rental market.
"This crisis is happening because there's nothing stopping people from raising rents and there's not enough housing," said Leah Simon-Weisberg, legal director for Tenants Together, a statewide renters' rights organization.
She also believes speculation in the real estate market is driving up rents.
Tenants Together and other proponents say rent control and just cause eviction protection provide stability for tenants and limit displacement while allowing landlords to earn a fair return on their investment.
Detractors, however, contend that rent control reduces the supply of rental housing, fails to keep rents down and provides a disincentive for landlords to maintain their properties.
"We're not going to build our way out of this tomorrow," said Joshua Howard, senior vice president with the California Apartment Association, which represents landlords, developers and property management companies.
But rent control, he added, is not a good long-term solution.