Legislative Update - March 9, 2023
National Apartment Association (NAA) to Take Lead on Tenant Screening Feedback; Warns of Heightened Scrutiny of Fees Due to New HUD Guidance
On February 28, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a joint Request for Information (RFI) seeking "to identify practices that unfairly prevent applicants and tenants from accessing or staying in housing in order to inform enforcement and policy actions under each agency's jurisdiction." SCRHA immediately reached out to the NAA for guidance. This specific effort is part of the White House Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights, something that NAA has been actively engaging with for some time. NAA will ask for members' perspectives and submit comments on the industry's behalf. Stay tuned for more instructions on how to share your perspective with NAA. Read more.
NAA is also warning members that there could be heightened scrutiny regarding fees and rents due to new Housing & Urban Development (HUD) best practices that seek to eliminate "junk fees." Secretary Marcia Fudge is urging housing providers and companies that provide leasing services to adopt policies that promote fairness and transparency. Suggestions include eliminating or limiting screening fees and furthering the use of reusable screening reports. NAA continues to push back on expanded federal intervention in the landlord/tenant relationship. Read more.
City of San Diego Climate Action Plan Implantation Framework
On the heels of two lawsuits that allege the city is not doing enough to achieve goals in the Climate Action Plan, the City's Environment Committee on Thursday, March 9, will be presented with a new implementation plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. SCRHA is tracking the plan, which seems to prioritize the area titled "Decarbonize Existing Buildings." This includes expanding enforcement of the city's Benchmarking Ordinance and identifying funding sources for residential weatherization, appliance exchanges, and building retrofits. The city expects it will need $30 million to achieve the overall plan goals. SCRHA is concerned with the potential costs to property owners and will continue to monitor the implementation plan, which is currently set to go to the full council on April 11. Read more.
ICYMI: CalRHA, SCRHA Push Back on Eviction Narrative
When asked the likelihood of an eviction for non-payment of rent, Californians were more confident that they would NOT be evicted with only 19 percent "Somewhat likely" compared to 24 percent for the rest of the country. Read more.