Antioch council unanimously passes stronger protections for renters

ANTIOCH — Excessive evictions will soon be a thing of the past in Antioch with the passage of stronger tenant protections aimed to not be overly burdensome on landlords.

The Antioch City Council passed the just cause ordinance in a 5-0 vote on Tuesday. It is expected to be officially ratified in September and the new rules would go into effect 30 days later.

The ordinance outlines protections for tenants evicted due to substantial repair or renovation works. This means that tenants who have been evicted in order for their landlord to repair or renovate a unit can return to the unit at a rate similar to what they paid prior to their eviction.

Other elements of the ordinance include ensuring that landlords provide ample notice — a minimum of 120 days — to a tenant before terminating a lease. If the tenant is disabled or 62 years old or older, the notice period is increased to one year for tenants who have lived in an until for at least one year.

Those being evicted from their home are also entitled to relocation assistance from their landlord that is equal to twice the monthly rent being charged.

Several residents who spoke before the council Tuesday had hoped the council would widen the protections and prevent families from being evicted when school is in session. Middle-schooler Jadon Pierre King said children should never experience homelessness and asked the council to prohibit the evictions during the school year.

“I have been homeless before, and I was scared,” he said. “If we are worried about leaving our home, then we can’t focus on school. If we are homeless, we won’t have a safe place to sleep, eat, relax or do our homework. If we get evicted, we lose our support system and friends.”

Addison Peterson, who is running for the District 3 council seat this fall, said housing is a human right and protecting residents from unjust evictions is essential to maintaining fair and equitable housing.

“By passing just cause eviction protections, we are affirming that Antioch values its residents and is committed to keeping our community strong and diverse,” he said.

Rhea Elina, executive director of Rising Juntos, said every family in Antioch deserve to have a safe, stable and dignified place to call home.

“Tenant protection policies like this one work as they prevent unjust evictions and reduce homelessness,” Elina said. “We know that (this ordinance) is most effective when combined with rent stabilization and anti-harassment protection, they work together like a three-legged stool, offering the strongest protections possible for families.”

Antioch resident Leslie May called for a city registry of rental property because she’s seen instances when landlords significantly raise rent once a tenant moves out. She said by having the landlords list their rent, future residents can check with the city to see what the going rate is for such units, providing better transparency for renters.

“They (landlords) will rent it to the next person for $2,350, raising it by $1,000. I am hoping we can have a department (that handles rent) in the city that makes sure that everyone who owns a rental property register with the city,” said May.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) and Raising Juntos said the ordinance would protect renters from “unnecessary no-fault evictions for profits, such as ‘renovictions’ and false owner move-ins.”

The organizations said certain loopholes allow landlords to circumvent rent control protections. The statement cited a report that found Contra Costa County’s homeless population rose 18 percent over the past four years.

“Most shockingly Antioch was found to have the most unhoused people in Contra Costa county at 413, followed by Richmond with 388, Concord with 173, and Martinez with 158,” according to the statement.

Under the new ordinance, “everybody is covered,” Councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walker said to applause from residents present at Tuesday’s council meeting.

“I went from homelessness to renting to Section 8 (housing) to now home ownership and I think it’s important for everybody to be able to have access (to help) along the way,” she said.

Councilmember Monica Wilson thanked residents and advocates who pushed the council to pass the ordinance.

“We finally made it,” Wilson said.