Update: The residents of Richmond have passed Measure P, capping rent increases to protect tenants at risk of displacement!
Greenbelt Alliance encouraged the residents of Richmond to vote yes on Measure P to cap rent increases for controlled units at 3% or 60% of the local consumer price index (whichever is lower).
Richmond is considered one of the few affordable areas left in the Bay Area, but in recent months, we’ve seen historic inflation levels which will put many Richmond tenants at risk of displacement. Many who are forced to leave, will likely move to affordable rental markets in the Central Valley while keeping their higher-paying job in the Bay Area. As a result of more people commuting, greenhouse gas emissions will also increase, along with overall congestion and demand for housing that strains our open spaces and the natural resources they provide.
In fact, the California Air Resource Board notes in its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions inventory that 41% of the state’s total emissions come from transportation. This is a development pattern we simply cannot allow to happen. Not only does it exacerbate equity issues and the Bay Area’s affordable housing crisis, but it also fuels the climate crisis.
Why We Supported Measure P
Greenbelt Alliance supported Measure P because anti-displacement policies are pro-environment. This measure will help tenants avoid displacement, keeping them close to their jobs in communities that have greater access to public transportation and services. This will also reduce the demand for exurban housing—housing outside of a city, especially a prosperous area beyond the suburbs—that is quickly becoming one of the few affordable housing options at the cost of super-commuting and sprawl development.
Photo: Matt Gush via Shutterstock
