The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors will hold a special meeting on July 10 to learn about issues facing tenants in unincorporated areas, and possible new protections to help prevent homelessness, punish harassment renters and help people with criminal records find housing.
County staff, including the County Attorney's Office, will brief the Board on potential rental protections.
These may include prohibitions on landlords from forcing tenants to evict through bad faith actions, such as failing to make repairs, performing unnecessary renovations, and violating privacy; evicting educators and parents of school-aged children during the school year; and considering specific prior criminal convictions or allegations that occurred in the previous seven years.
The Board will not vote on any proposals at the July 10 meeting, but may provide direction to staff, including bringing an ordinance for consideration at a later date.
Those wishing to attend the Board of Supervisors meeting should note that it will be held on Monday, July 10, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the 400 County Government Center in Redwood City and virtually.
However, those who cannot attend in person can do so virtually through the Zoom platform. The agenda and link will be available available here.
Notably, a report from the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo found that 50 percent of households that fought evictions in court experienced at least one episode of homelessness thereafter with female and Latino/Hispanic tenants at highest risk.
Criminal records are another barrier, with 36 percent of homeless people reporting that having one has made it difficult to obtain housing, according to a 2023 statewide survey by the University of California, San Francisco.
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