IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Imperial Beach City Council is considering new renter protections following mass evictions at two large apartment complexes last fall.
However, some residents argue the proposed changes don’t go far enough to close a gap in existing state law. Roughly two dozen residents gathered Tuesday evening for a candlelit vigil and silent march in honor of those impacted by so called “renovictions.”
The hope is to convince the city council to reconsider an ordinance that will be taken up for a final vote Wednesday night.
“We’re not being helped by this. It’s not retroactive, so the ones that are being kicked out, it’s a shame but there’s nothing that we can do,” said Robert Lucas, former tenant at Swell Apartments.
Lucas is among a group of tenants still coping with evictions that sent them scrambling for new affordable housing.
More than 100 units combined at the Hawaiian Hardens Apartments and the Swell Apartments were hit with notices in October and November. All of them with no-fault evictions related to renovations, which is legal under state law.
Impacted residents are now shining a light on an issue they believe requires action.
“My fear is that it’s not going to stop there,” said Alberto Fernandez, former tenant at Hawaiian Gardens Apartments.
Fernandez says he lived at Hawaiian Gardens close to 10 years before his eviction. He’s living elsewhere in Imperial Beach now, but wonders for how long.
“Maybe next year they’re gonna come and say, ‘Hey, we need to renovate this apartment complex and you need to go’ and then I don’t know what I would be able to afford,” Fernandez said.
The proposed protections would only limit evictions tied to substantial remodels by excluding cosmetic improvements – like painting or flooring replacement.
“If a landlord needs to make repairs that are substantial they should relocate the tenant temporarily, let them come back to their unit once those repairs are done at the same price,” said Jose Lopez, San Diego director for Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment.
Community advocates like Lopez feel investors can still take advantage of a loophole that’s used to price people out.
Still others disagree after last month’s city council meeting.
“To make it more difficult for landlords to make necessary improvements in their rental properties, it will discourage investment in the city,” said John Hine, community member and housing provider.
Landlords would also be required to report eviction data to the city.
Imperial Beach is also proposing that all no-fault evictions for renovation or demolition in complexes containing 15 or more units require two months of relocation payments.
“There’s one lady that she is just crying, she’s texting my wife and saying, ‘Hey, I don’t know what to do.’ Literally she’s going to be out on the street,” Lucas said.
