Campaigners with Faith in Action Bay Area turned in thousands of signatures this week to put the Fair and Affordable Housing Ordinance, a sweeping rent stabilization and tenant protection measure, on the November ballot in Redwood City. The move sets up a high-stakes local showdown over rent caps, larger relocation payments for no-fault evictions, and a new city-run rent program if voters approve it.
What the measure would change
The initiative would cap annual rent increases at 5% or 60% of the local Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower, and would apply to units built before February 1, 1995. For no-fault evictions, the proposal would require relocation assistance equal to four times the monthly fair market rent or $12,000, whichever is greater, with an additional $6,000 for tenants age 62 and older. The measure would also create a city-run rent stabilization and tenant protection program funded by an annual per-unit fee, according to the City Attorney’s ballot title and summary, City of Redwood City, and supporting materials in the campaign’s fact sheet.
Supporters point to local data
Backers say the ordinance responds to sharp rent growth and displacement on the Peninsula. A study cited by organizers found rents in older Redwood City buildings rose roughly 57% over the past 15 years, and that two-bedroom rents average about $3,678, a finding reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and drawn from analysis by Urban Habitat. "The data shows that the cost of rent is becoming untenable for so many more people," the report’s author said, as quoted in the Chronicle.
Landlords push back
Landlord groups have already warned that the measure would expand local rent control beyond existing limits and add regulatory and financial burdens for housing providers. The California Apartment Association urged the city clerk to reject petitions, saying the initiative fails to meet legal requirements and would discourage housing investment California Apartment Association. Local coverage also notes opposition from realtor and landlord groups across the Peninsula, which say the measure repeats arguments that sank similar efforts in other cities, Redwood City Pulse.
What happens next
San Mateo County’s elections office will review the submitted signatures in the coming weeks to determine whether the initiative qualifies for the November ballot, according to reporting by the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Mateo Daily Journal. If validated, the measure would move to a full ballot campaign this summer and fall. If not, organizers say they have submitted a surplus of signatures to avoid the narrow shortfall that sank the 2024 effort. Supporters and opponents alike are already preparing for what could be one of the Peninsula’s most expensive local fights over housing policy.
Legal questions and city work ahead
The California Apartment Association has flagged potential legal defects in the petition, including claims it does not meet the Elections Code’s "full text" requirement, a contention that could trigger a clerk review or legal challenge if contested California Apartment Association. Should the measure qualify and voters approve it, the City Manager and City Council would be tasked with setting the annual allowable increase, running hearings on petitions, and enforcing the new program, duties laid out in the ballot title and summary by the City Attorney.
