Proponents of balancing the city’s job growth with adequate housing growth are now endorsing the rent stabilization (rent control) law proposed for Mountain View.

Both City Council member Lenny Siegel and the Mountain View Coalition for Sustainable Planning have endorsed the law proposed by the Mountain View Tenants Coalition, which does not impose any rent controls or restrictions on new housing development that would discourage new housing growth in Mountain View.

Siegel, also founder of the Campaign for a Balanced Mountain View, made the following statement:

“Everyone seems to agree that Mountain View and surrounding communities are suffering through a crisis of housing availability and affordability. Rapidly rising rents are the norm, and no-cause evictions are all too common. The continuing displacement of an unacceptable fraction of our population is destroying the fabric of our community, as we lose service workers, moderate income employees such as teachers, long-time civic volunteers, and students working for upward mobility.

“Mountain View is approaching consensus on the long-term solution to our housing crisis: building more housing near employment centers and transit. However, unless we limit the rate of rent increases and protect tenants against arbitrary evictions, it will be too little, too late. Because the City Council has NOT adopted any enforceable measures to protect Mountain View’s tenant population, I support the initiative charter amendment.”

The Mountain View Coalition for Sustainable Planning issued the following statement:

“MVCSP endorses the initiative petition regarding rent stabilization that is being circulated by the Mountain View Tenants’ Coalition, and also the charter amendment that the petition aims to see included on the ballot for Mountain View voters in November.

“Our members want all residents to be aware of this grave threat to our social and economic sustainability, and want registered voters in Mountain View to be able to vote on this major issue affecting the city’s future. Renters, a majority of our population, are faced with challenges that the City Council has been unable to address adequately.”