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From:Karen Vega <br />To:GRP-City Council <br />Subject:Item 9B public comment <br />Date:Monday, July 27, 2026 2:15:24 PM <br />You don't often get email from kvega@realsmartgroup.com. Learn why this is important <br />I encourage the Council to take a formal position opposing the proposed rent control <br />initiative backed by Faith in Action. While Faith in Action is a national organization based <br />in Oakland, it is not a longstanding part of our Redwood City community. Decisions with <br />significant local consequences should reflect the needs and priorities of Redwood City <br />residents. <br />According to the City's supplemental fiscal report, this measure could cost between $5 <br />million and $11.1 million annually to administer. Those are substantial public resources <br />that could be better invested in essential city services and community priorities. <br />Redwood City taxpayers and property owners should not be expected to bear these <br />ongoing costs. <br />The initiative's rent control provisions occupy fewer than two pages of the 46-page <br />measure. The vast majority of the proposal creates a permanent city rent bureaucracy, <br />expands eviction regulations, mandates relocation payments, and grants broad new <br />enforcement powers that extend well beyond rent-controlled units. This is not a targeted <br />rent control measure—it is a sweeping expansion of government regulation that will <br />have lasting financial and administrative consequences for our city. <br />As a small "mom-and-pop" housing provider, I would be among those most significantly <br />affected. Unlike large corporate landlords, small property owners often operate with <br />narrow margins and limited resources. The increased costs, regulatory burden, and <br />uncertainty created by this measure make it increasingly difficult to continue providing <br />housing in Redwood City. I am seriously questioning whether I can continue operating <br />my rental business here. <br />I respectfully urge the Council to oppose this measure and adopt a formal position <br />against it. Redwood City deserves policies that support both tenants and responsible <br />local housing providers without imposing unnecessary costs, bureaucracy, and burdens <br />on our community. <br />Thank you <br />Karen Vega