Legislative Alert- Orange County Rent Freeze Referendum
Orange County Rent Freeze Referendum Proposal
Last week, AAGO was made aware that one of the Orange County Commissioners plans to propose a rent freeze referendum at the upcoming Board of County Commissioners Meeting.
UPDATE (06/23/20, 2:33 PM)- After much public comment and debate, AAGO is happy to report that the Orange County Board of County Commissioners decisively voted down Vice Mayor Bonilla's proposed Rent Freeze Referenda, in a 5 to 2 vote.
- The Commission's vote means that the proposal will not move forward.
An enormous thank you to all of you who provided public comment. Your input played a vital role in halting this proposal and clearly demonstrated to the County Commission that the industry amply equipped and more than capable of addressing resident needs and concerns as we continue to navigate these uncharted waters.
For more on this issue, check out these additional reading materials.
Orange County Commissioner, Emily Bonilla plans to present her Rent Freeze Referendum Commissioner's Report during Tomorrow's BCC meeting.
- What's a referendum? A referendum is a question that addresses a specific policy initiative that after a public hearing and approval, is placed on the ballot for voters to vote on.
AAGO has spoken in opposition to this referendum and has already provided Orange County with data that shows rent growth slowing and its projections of continuing to do so through the end of the year.
If you are interested in watching the meeting or providing public comment on this matter, we have included this information below. Please note, if you would like to provide public comment you must do so by 5:00 PM Monday, June 22nd, 2020.
Orange County Board of County Commissioners Meeting Information
- Date- Tuesday, June 23, 2020
- Time- 9:00 AM
- Live Stream the BCC Meeting- Orange TV
- Make Public Comment- Public Comment Form
Additionally, AAGO has drafted a template for members to use for public comment. If you would like to use or reference the verbiage in your public comment, we have included the template below. Please note, if you intend to use AAGO's public comment template, please make sure to briefly describe a few of the measures you and your company have taken to work with, help, or aid residents during this time (whether that be rent payment plans, deferment of late fees/charges, etc.).
Additional Notes About Public Comment
- If you would like to add your own commentary, outside of the template provided by AAGO, please note that there is a character limit to Public Comment.
- Public Comment will not be counted if you do not include the agenda item that your public comment seeks to address. On the online public comment form, there is not a box included for the agenda item. Please make sure to include the agenda item in your comment. We have included the Agenda Item in our Public Comment Template, as well as below for your reference.
- Agenda Item- Commissioner’s Report, Discussion Items, Item III (D) Rent Freeze Referendum
Public Comment Rent Freeze Referendum Template
Please copy the provided template below, then click the "Public Comment Link" to begin the submission process via Orange County's website. Here, you will paste the template into the comment box.
Request Board Date: 06/23/2020
Agenda Item: Commissioner’s Report, Discussion Items, Item III (D) Rent Freeze Referendum
Following the italicized text included in the public comment, please include some of the measures you or your company has taken to work with residents impacted by COVID-19.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on the proposed Rent Freeze Referenda.
We are a housing provider with rental properties in Orange County. Like many others in the industry, we are well aware of the hardship our residents face because of COVID-19. As such, we remain committed to working with our impacted residents through these difficult and unprecedented times. For example, we have deferred payments, waived fees and increases, accepted partial payments, and assisted residents with filing for unemployment and finding other potential aid.
Rent growth in Orange County is declining and based on projections will continue to do through the end of the year. On our end, we have
As such, we do not believe a rent freeze is necessary or justified. Rent control or “freezes” distort market conditions and ultimately do far more harm than good. If implemented, a rent freeze will drive out much-needed supply and investment in an already uncertain and difficult market. This will cause additional hardships for both housing providers and residents.
Therefore, we respectfully request that the Rent Freeze be removed from consideration.
Thank you for your consideration.
Agenda Item: Commissioner’s Report, Discussion Items, Item III (D) Rent Freeze Referendum
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the AAGO Government Affairs Team.