Departments » City Manager » Housing Services » Housing Policies

Anti-Displacement Strategy

Print
Share & Bookmark, Press Enter to show all options, press Tab go to next option
Font Size: + -

web-banner-asp

Anti-Displacement Strategy

Redwood City’s residents face constrained and expensive housing market and rising income inequality – key factors that drive displacement. In an effort to address displacement, one of the most pressing equity issues facing our community today, the City worked with diverse stakeholders to create a citywide Anti-Displacement Strategy.  

ADS UPDATE - City Council Meeting - January 27, 2025 

At the City Council meeting on Monday, January 27, 2025, the City Council approved amendments to the City's Anti-Displacement Strategy Work Plan and Timeline. These approved amendments include the following direction:

  1. Re-start work on the Tenant Protection Ordinance amendments, including conducting focus groups on the right to return for renovation related evictions.
  2. Change the goal “Support the Lincoln Avenue Capital (LAC) preservation” to “Assist Housing Providers Secure Tax-Exempt Status to Enhance Affordable Housing Opportunities.”
  3. Adjust the timeline for the HEART Preservation Model to “Variable”
  4. Adjust the timeline for the Mobile Home Ordinance and Mobile Home Needs Assessment until Fiscal Year 2028-2029.

More detailed information about the updated Anti-Displacement Strategy work plan and timeline can be found here:

For any questions regarding the Anti-Displacement Strategy, please contact Victor Gaitan at vgaitan@redwoodcity.org or 650-780-7303, or visit www.RedwoodCity.org/ADS

 

Overview & Background

ADS CC Approved New Timeline

 

In January 2020, in an effort to catalyze and advance the City’s first two strategic housing priorities - Protection and Preservation - the City applied for and was awarded the Partnership for the Bay’s Future Challenge Grant. The Challenge Grant increased the City’s capacity by providing a two-year Management Fellow and access to technical assistance funding, along with establishing a community partnership with the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County.

The Partnership for the Bay’s Future Challenge Grant team, in partnership with the Housing and Human Concerns Committee (HHCC), developed the proposed Anti-Displacement Strategy which includes policy recommendations to help the City achieve its housing priorities of preserving unsubsidized, multi-family affordable housing and mobile home units and refining tenant protections for residential tenants. 

The HHCC reviewed and recommended the City Council approve the proposed Anti-Displacement Strategy at their December 14, 2021 meeting. The proposed Anti-Displacement Strategy was then discussed at a City Council Study Session on January 10, 2022. 

During the January 10th Study Session, there was general support among the City Council for all eight of the proposed ADS recommendations but there was not a majority support for the six Additional Ideas that were raised. However, at the City Council’s offsite retreat on February 5, 2022, a majority of the City Council members supported pursuing Idea #4 - Anti-harassment policy and Idea #6 – adding limits on renovation related evictions and a “right to return” provision to the Relocation Assistance Ordinance. A more detailed summary of the City Council’s feedback on the Anti-Displacement Strategy can be found here.

The Anti-Displacement Strategy was revised to indicate that additional research and community engagement will be conducted on Ideas #4 and #6. Formal recommendations for Ideas #4 and #6 would be brought to the City Council as part of the implementation of Recommendation #1 (Tenant Protection Ordinance Amendments). The revised Anti-Displacement Strategy also includes an updated implementation timeline.

On June 27, 2022, the City Council adopted the revised Anti-Displacement Strategy. 

Community Engagement 2023 - Conversations on Rental Housing Policies

Between April - June 2023, tenants and rental property owners and managers were invited to participate in a series of facilitated conversations with Schechter Consulting and City Staff to learn more about the continued implementation of the Anti-Displacement Strategy, learn about potential new rental housing policies, and share their ideas for improving relationships between tenants and landlords.

April 4, 2023 Meeting
  • April 4, 2023 Presentation slides can be found here
  • April 4, 2023 Meeting Summary can be found here
  • Additional Meeting Materials
    • Anti-Displacement Strategy Summary Handout can be found here
    • Tenant and Landlord Resources Handout can be found here
May 18, 2023 - Tenant Meeting
  • May 18, 2023 Presentation slides can be found here
  • The Meeting Summary can be found here
  • Additional Meeting Materials
    • Anti-Displacement Strategy Summary Handout can be found here
    • Tenant and Landlord Resources Handout can be found here
    • Habitability and Maintenance Handout can be found here
May 23, 2023 - Landlord Meeting
  • May 23, 2023 Presentation slides can be found here
  • The Meeting Summary can be found here
  • Additional Meeting Materials
    • Anti-Displacement Strategy Summary Handout can be found here
    • Tenant and Landlord Resources Handout can be found here
    • Habitability and Maintenance Handout can be found here
May 24, 2023 - Tenant Meeting (in Spanish)
  • May 24, 2023 Presentation slides can be found here
  • The Meeting Summary can be found here
  • Additional Meeting Materials
    • Anti-Displacement Strategy Summary Handout can be found here
    • Tenant and Landlord Resources Handout can be found here
    • Habitability and Maintenance Handout can be found here
June 1, 2023 - Landlord Meeting
  • June 1, 2023 Presentation slides can be found here
  • The Meeting Summary can be found here
  • Additional Meeting Materials
    • Anti-Displacement Strategy Summary Handout can be found here
    • Tenant and Landlord Resources Handout can be found here
    • Habitability and Maintenance Handout can be found here

Community Engagement -  Rental Property Owners and Managers

In 2021, the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center (PCRC), Common Knowledge and the City's Housing Division, facilitated a series of conversations with rental property owners and managers to discuss tenant protections and affordable housing preservation strategies.   

Housing Preservation In spring 2021, local property owners and managers in engaged in a facilitated workshop and focus groups to discuss  affordable housing preservation strategies. 
  • Potential preservation strategies discussed can be found here.
  • May 18, 2021  Workshop Summary can be found here.
  • May 18, 2021  Workshop Presentation can be found here. 
  • June 7, 8 and 22, 2021 Focus Group Presentation can be found here.
  • 2021 Focus Group Summary can be found here. 

Rental Housing Policies In July 2021, rental property owners and managers were invited to participate in a facilitated conversation with Common Knowledge to learn more about recent and potential changes to rental housing policies.  
  • Part I: July 13, 2021  Presentation slides can be found here. 
  • Part II: July 20, 2021 Presentation slides can be found here.
  • Workshop Summary can be found here.

Community Engagement - Tenants 

In June and July 2021, Faith in Action facilitated a series of focus groups with tenants including community leaders, previously displaced tenants and tenant union organizers. 

  • 2021 Tenant Focus Group Summary can be found here.
Tenant Protections: Supporting Stable Housing On July 29, 2021, tenants in Redwood City engaged in a workshop, facilitated by Faith in Action, to learn more about recent and potential changes to rental housing policies in Redwood City.  
  • July 29, 2021 Presentation slides can be found here (English / Español).
  • July 29, 2021 Workshop Summary can be found here.

Affordable Rent: Preserving Low-Cost Housing for Low-Income Tenants On August 5, 2021, tenants in Redwood City also engage in a workshop, facilitated by Faith in Action, to learn about and discuss potential local programs to help tenants stay in their homes long-term with rents at affordable prices.
  • August 5, 2021 Presentation slides can be found here (English / Español).
  • August 5, 2021 Workshop Summary can be found here.

 

Mobile Home Park Preservation

Mobile home parks provide an unsubsidized affordable housing option to many residents in Redwood City. The Anti-Displacement Strategy includes policy recommendations to preserve the City’s existing mobile home parks.

In June 2021, the City distributed surveys to assess the needs of mobile home park residents. A summary of survey results can be found here.

From August through October 2021, the City facilitated conversations with property owners, property managers and residents to further understand the unique issues and needs relating to mobile home parks.

In October 2021, the City offered two workshops, facilitated by Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center, for mobile home residents.  

  • Presentations for the workshops can be found here (English/ Spanish).
  • The workshop summaries can be found here.  

Additional Documents

Contact Us

For more information regarding the City's Anti-Displacement Strategy, please contact Victor Gaitan, Management Analyst, at vgaitan@redwoodcity.org or (650) 780-7303.