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From:Jeri Richardson-Daines <br />To:publiccomment@redwoodcity.org; GRP-City Council <br />Subject:PLEASE OPPOSE RENT CONTROL BALLOT MEASURE <br />Date:Monday, July 27, 2026 2:31:16 PM <br />Some people who received this message don't often get email from jeri@jeridaines.com. Learn why this isimportant <br />Dear Mayor Saballos, Vice Mayor Eakin, and Members of the Council, <br />My name is Jeri Richardson-Daines. I am a fourth-generation Redwood City resident, a <br />local business owner, and an engaged member of this community. I am also a former <br />appointed member of Redwood City's Housing and Human Concerns Committee. <br />My family has always believed in owning and maintaining local rental properties, a value <br />that was instilled in me from a young age. In 2005, at just 23 years old, I lived at home, <br />saved every dollar I could, and partnered with my parents to purchase a small rental <br />property. Rather than moving out with friends or renting a place of my own, I continued <br />living at home for several years so I could afford the financial responsibility of ownership. <br />For many years, the property operated at a loss, but we remained committed to maintaining <br />it and providing quality housing. <br />Over more than 20 years of ownership, we have invested significantly in the property by <br />updating units, replacing water heaters, wall heaters, the roof, and, most recently, the <br />electrical panels to maintain our fire insurance coverage. We take great pride in providing <br />safe, well-maintained housing. Most of our tenants have lived there for many years, and we <br />have always worked to keep rents as affordable as possible. Until recently, we chose not to <br />raise rents annually, even though they were well below market rates, and several of our <br />units are occupied by tenants receiving rental assistance. <br />Unfortunately, we have had to reconsider that approach because of rising operating costs <br />combined with existing state and local rent control regulations. Insurance, maintenance, <br />utilities, labor, and materials have all increased substantially, making it increasingly difficult <br />to cover the costs of maintaining the property. Each new regulation adds another financial <br />burden for small, family-owned rental property owners like us. <br />This proposed measure would be devastating for small "mom-and-pop" housing providers. <br />We have made a conscious decision to keep our rents below market, yet it feels as though <br />every additional rent control measure penalizes responsible owners who are already doing <br />exactly what policymakers say they want. We are reaching the point where owning rental <br />property in Redwood City is no longer financially sustainable. <br />Beyond my own family's experience, I have watched many longtime local property owners <br />sell their buildings and move their investments elsewhere because the regulatory and <br />financial burdens have become too great. When small local owners leave the market, they <br />are often replaced by larger investors, reducing the diversity of housing providers in our <br />community. <br />I am also concerned about how average rental prices are often presented in discussions <br />about housing affordability. Those figures frequently include newer construction that is <br />exempt from many rent control regulations. This creates a misleading picture of the rental