Richmond Activists Kick Off Renter Protection Signature Gathering Campaign

By Lynda Carson

“Fair and Affordable Richmond” on Saturday kicked off a signature gathering campaign to place a Rent Control and Just Cause Eviction Protection ballot measure http://tinyurl.com/h7o2lxe on the November ballot.

The Coalition has until June to gather 4,198 signatures to place the measure on the November ballot.

”Rent increases have reached a crisis level and we are doing something about it in Richmond,” said Richmond Councilwoman Gayle Mclaughlin.

“We welcome volunteers to join us gathering signatures for a ballot measure in November to stabilize rents and stop the displacement that occurs from skyrocketing rents,” she said.

The average monthly rent in Richmond is $1,172, and the rents just keep getting higher, and higher.

“A recent poll commissioned by Fair and Affordable Richmond shows that nearly two-thirds of voters would vote today to enact rent control and just cause eviction protections,” according to the coalition. “Richmond voters understood that similar limits on evictions and unreasonable rent increases have helped to prevent thousands of middle-class and low-income people from losing their homes, making communities safer and more stable for everyone, and they think the City of Richmond should have such protections.”

Dan Harper, Organizing Director for Tenants Together said, “We have reached a very exciting time in the fight for rent control in Richmond. To get rent control on the ballot we will need to collect thousands of signatures, and we will need your help. “

According to a release from the Fair and Affordable Richmond Coalition, “The proposed ballot measure would establish a rent board that would set annual limits on rent increases for the City of Richmond, as well as provide a process for tenants to appeal rent increases

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[Source]: The Post News Group