A Concord “rent registry” program for the city to collect rental housing data to help drive future policy was approved last week.
The unanimous decision by the council to move ahead with the registry came after more than three hours of discussion by council members, staff, consultants and the public.
Many of them were concerned about making sure that accurate information is obtained from landlords, and/or about maintaining privacy of both landlords and tenants. Councilwoman Laura Hoffmeister said she was concerned the city could be mining information from a city with many landlords when a relatively small number of them are seen as causing problems.
“I don’t know if the registry program is going to get all of the bad apples out of there,” Hoffmeister said.
The rent registry program will require the owners of all multifamily complexes with four or more units to register with the city (affordable housing complexes are exempt from the rent registry). Information will include evictions, units’ square footages, rent costs and how those costs have changed over time.
Mayor Tim McGallian at one point said he was leaning toward not wanting a public portal at all. The main purpose of the registry, he said, was for the city to gather information to help guide policy, not for outside advocacy groups to use for purposes he views as positive or not.
“For us to be dictated to, that’s not how it’s supposed to work,” said McGallian, who along with Hoffmeister feared overreach by the city in seeking data.
But Vice Mayor Dominic Aliano and Councilmembers Edi Birsan and Carlyn Obringer all said there needs to be some manner of public interface. Birsan said he was uncomfortable with the idea of the city collecting data it wouldn’t openly share.
“We do not make policy based on secret data,” Birsan said. However, council members opted to withhold certain specific information they deemed would be privacy violations for landlords or tenants.
The rent registry is being created in response to requests from local renters and their advocates for information that could help show whether landlords are carrying out evictions legally and fairly, or whether rents are rising unreasonably. Some advocates of the registry have said it also will serve to show “the real rental landscape” in Concord.
31 comments
Why more control??? Socialism???
How about the city council worry about the increasing number of criminal homeless, and the multiple tent cities within Concord…
Wow
The council seems motivated to establish natzi registration tactics
The boots will be marching soon to tell you what you can do with your business next
Seal know corruption and control go hand in hand
The past told us that a government forcing businesses to register outside of the freedoms afforded to privacy and the constitution are ripe with a take over policy as the city council sets its foot into the natzi proven control tactics
Let this day stand as the warning that was not headed
As we all wonder how German citizens allowed the atrocities
We see the city council imposing its will like the elitist rulers they are
Stomping on freedom to strengthen their control
The hoff pulling off a great rendition of the opposing hitler to the tactics
When in fact she will step forward after and take the reigns of power to force the lamentation of the people to turn in their neighbors and locals to submit to the new regime
You voted for the monsters
Remember that
Cities, counties, states, and countries all make policies based on secret data. Nice attempt at transparency though.
One thing I have witnessed regularly, is when investment property owners get older they divest to simplify their lives and the lives of their heirs. This sort of legislation might cause some to throw in the towel a little earlier.
Most likely corporations will purchase those properties. As the government comes down on corporations with less favorable tax policy, those increased taxes will be paid by the renters. Short sighted.
This is a bad idea. If you “feel” uncomfortable then it is wrong. Go with your gut or suffer the consequences. No more rental units. If that is your desired outcome then you are correct and you should proceed. It would solve the problem but it would create new problems.
Try this……
Let the market decide.
Build more housing.
Get your “act” together
When will I have to submit my mortgage information to “the city”
One more thing……FO!!
New name for Concord. Commie Concord
lol
but you voted for them ……
you allowed this to happen
you watched as they progressed to this
i am not of age to stop it but you are
and still they progress into total regime change
leaving children with nothing but your lemming mentality of allowing yourselves and others as well as the future children to be nominated by a anti america policy and Chinese communist socialism
its funny how demorats if asked say peace and harmony
sorry to tell you but this country is one of one
not one other country does what we do
affords a constitution written by brighter minds than any demorat of today
as all of the constitution is to stop the oscamas and bidens and clintons and pelosi and newcums
yet you vote to establish their power and regime over you and your children
passing laws to allow people to assault your daughters with no penalties
that one thing should have been enough to stop them ‘
yet you sit and pound dirt to put harris into power so she can implement the new natzi order
one year will show how you left this country hollow and disrespected millions who have died to defend it from the likes of you and your devotion to the sad sadistic devotion to demorat politicans destroying america with the best trick ever
the separation and segregation of the people by screaming racism where the is none …..constantly
the people all of the people are being duped by these politicians
be american and adults and see through their schemes and tricks
everyone wants to be free ….right or can a democrat voters state otherwise
stop the oppressively socialist agenda
not one argument for socialism is correct …..
not one argument for distain amongst all the people is correct
you are being manipulated by politicians who are stealing millions errrr billions of our money and then they tell you …well your not going to get anything you paid for your retirement accept for covid
say hi to your neighbor
thats how we take back control
You are right but you left out the biggest enemy to our country . That is the media . News programs are nothing more than a mouth piece for pushing the liberal socialist agenda Seriously , watch and listen and see if they are stating facts or just rumors from anonymous sources or opinions from liberal politicians .
Why don’t they spend money on the dilapidated roads instead?
Bad idea. Free market forces should determine rent levels. Free markets, if not distorted by government or other regulatory forces, find equilibrium at fair prices. If you think you can create a “secret” database that will only be used by local government, you are wrong. Taxpayers, who fund it, will demand access to it and should get it (after all, they paid for it). Special interest groups will receive it (from taxpayer or through Freedom of Information Act requests). And anything “secret” done by government needs a high level of oversight so it is not abused. This county/state/country is headed in the wrong direction.
Shame on them.
The advocates want the data to push their agenda further. Do we have to bend for every advocate group. If you read the article in the East Bay Times it mentions a charge of $5 a unit that the landord has to pay for the data service. I hope the landlords pass it along. Great advocates you just raised the rent for everyone, nice job.
That $5 will make it an increase of $50 for each unit as there is additional time needed to provide this information that will be passed on to tenants.
Get rid of these freaks.If the tenant and the landlord make an agreement it should be between them.Not some city officials trying to play god.I guess it’s time for the citizens to descend on city hall and take control.
No, it is not time for a violent militia insurrection here in Concord. Besides, much of our local government is working remotely, due to Covid. Even if you did burst into city hall with Gadsden flags, it wouldn’t accomplish anything. You’d be arrested, and put on the no-fly list.
Insurrection – someone drank too much kool aid. Educate yourself without watching CNN, MSNBC, GMA, Today, etc, Gave yourself away with the dems weekly buzz word. You are a week behind though…better get back to your brainwashing news channels.
Yes, virtual is the way to go, instead dems wasting millions on security when the inauguration should be held in Biden’s basement.
The city should be spending money on the study of Diversity, LGTBQ, and White Supremacists that seem to be everywhere and help to find common ground so we can all feel a little more inclusive.
@Chris…..”We are the world, we are the children…..” Everybody wave your hands….-M. Jackson.
Lots of attention to Diversity, LGBTQ, and false accusations of white supremacy and racism is what got us to where we are today.
If Edi’s for it, I’m against it.
Easy as that.
How about the city council simpletons break up the 1000 square foot wood-and-trash hobo shacks popping up by the canal, overflowing with trash and debris and I’m sure used hypodermic needles! Concord is becoming increasingly lawless, squalid, and dangerous, and these idiots are worried about hassling small-time landlords!
This is totally out of line. Sick and tired of being forced into lock step.
This is so unnecessary and in line with being “all up in our business”. We get no info on criminals just like in jury service but their crew and attorneys know everything about us. Tired of the door not swinging both ways.
Get these fools out of office starting with Newsom.
We are doomed with Biden and Harris breathing down his neck to knock him out of office to due the full takeover.
I thought private businesses can do what they want. Landlords are private business owners.
Hmmmm. Double standards much?
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The collected data will be used to substantiate new fees and chargers on landlords.
.
Wait for it….
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Hey Concord, stay out of people’s private business! Are you going to require this from all businesses in Concord?!
Concord should figure out where money came from to buy apartment buildings. They might be surprised to find out how much of it came from other side of Pacific Ocean.
Got the DMV renewal notice for one of our cars today. Read this story. Not surprised that Concord PD did not cite or even write up a report on the 2 hit and run accidents committed by individuals living in a house down the street who had no insurance. When that isn’t a crime, you know that things have deteriorated.
So the troll just sold his house and is in escrow on a house in another state. I was born here, educated here, married and raised a family here. Now, I am out of here!
“Free market capitalization is the best path to prosperity “ said Larry Kudlow. Let the “Market” decide rents not the government. Have any of the Council members taken Economy 101?
Communists and socialists do not subscribe to the theories of a “free market economy.”
McGallian’s remark about outside groups (ie taxpayers and residents) “dictating to the city” on rental policy are pretty laughable. It’s well known the Concord POA orders council members around 24/7, dictating where all the money in the city budget goes, year after year.
Thanks to the Concord POA, and POA puppet McGallian, Concord has among the highest wages for city employees in the State of California. Astronomical amounts of money is flowing into the ;pockets of Concord POA members, without any justification at all.
While the city squanders almost the entire city budget waging a war against a pretend crime wave, our city continues to go down the tubes. We can’t get a new library built in our city, a teen center, a decent gym to play basketball. The City can’t even find any money to fix the roads – thanks to the big gravy train going on at Concord PD.
It’s in the best interest of our city that Tim McGallian resign from the council. He’s a do-nothing gas bag. The only thing he knows how to do is give his POA over-loards raises, which why the city is broke, year after year. Concord is a city steeped in corruption.
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