02 May Concord Renters Protest Loosening of Rent Control

Renters in Concord, partially led by the Todos Santos Tenants Union, protested April 22 a potential weakening of rent control and tenant protections that the City Council ultimately approved later that same day.

Story and photos by Finn Atkin

Renters marched from Todos Santos Plaza in downtown Concord to City Hall on April 22 to protest a possible weakening of rent control anticipated later that night.

The Concord City Council was set to discuss a potential flat increase in rent from 2.5% to 5%. Ultimately, the council approved the increase, which is set to go into effect May 22, by a 3-2 vote. The vote will also allow landlords who own only one or two properties to evict tenants without “just cause.”

This pulls back on the 2024 ordinance that capped rent increases at 3% and banned evictions without just cause. It was the first rent control ordinance in the city’s history and faced multiple challenges while it was under consideration and after it was enacted.

Before the April 22 council meeting, renters of Concord protested with signs and chants saying that “housing is a human right,” with speakers decrying the lack of fairness in minimizing current rent control efforts and raising rent while landlords are leasing properties with health and safety hazards.

During the march, many passersby honked their car horns in support of protesters, with support continuing at City Hall as those who arrived initially to attend sat outside and cheered for renters.

Betty Gabaldon, president of the Todos Santos Tenants Union and organizer for the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy, helped make the protest a reality.

“A lot of people were unaware that we had an ordinance for rent control, and they’re just finding out,” Gabaldon said. “Not only just finding out that Concord had rent control for at least 10 months, but now it’s going to double.”

Gabaldon is a single parent who rents in Concord and has dealt with these issues firsthand. Years ago, she alleged that she was forced out of her Monument corridor apartment for “galvanizing fellow renters inside her building to organize and demand improvements,” the East Bay Times reported.

She said that while major issues have been rising nationally, she and other community members are shocked and angry that this has bled into Concord and caused disparities on a local level.

“They’re buying our democracy — they’re just passing around misinformation to homeowners. In reality, this is for big corporations that are pushing this agenda,” Gabaldon said. “It’s very upsetting and disturbing that [Concord] City Council is aligning with that agenda.”

Gabaldon as a single mother who works with the community and organizes events such as this protest has witnessed this disparity. The new 5% cap reveals imbalance in the local economy — the ever-rising cost of living coupled with the increase in grocery prices and other resources exposes the fact that as prices go up, residents are not seeing pay raises adequate to cover these costs.

She said that people within her community have been getting their hours cut, furthering the inability to maintain the inflated costs of living — and the lack of ability for the average worker to afford groceries is leaving people resorting to food banks to keep up.

“[City Council] are talking about homelessness, but this is what causes that, and they don’t see that,” Gabaldon said. “Every American is just one paycheck away from being homeless. If I don’t work today — if I get sick — I can’t pay my rent.”

Gabaldon also added that many people are already struggling with homelessness due to the cost of living, and felt as though the government sees her — and the average American citizen — as a bag of money.

She was just one of many organizers of this protest against rent increase. Jennifer Morales, organizing manager for Monument Impact’s Community Engagement Program, also played a big part in the creation of this protest.

“After eight years, the Senate protections passed last year to raise the rent cap to 5%, and exclude single-family homes from this ordinance — it’s such a dramatic change, especially without getting any data to back it up,” Morales said. “It’s going to be life-changing for many of the members of Monument Impact and our coalition members and just people in Concord.”

Morales said that she and other community members felt there was not enough data to back up the need for a rent increase.

Gabaldon said that the community needs to use their voices and get involved in protests as much as they can. She encouraged the community not to be afraid to speak up and fight back against the government.

“Get involved. This is really important. We see new faces today — and we see a lot of young people. They don’t see themselves finding a place to rent,” Gabaldon said. “You can’t just say ‘I can’t do nothing about it.’ We’re just going to keep fighting, and we need a new City Council that is really going to represent us and not in line with corporate interest.”

Gabaldon said that while there are no specific upcoming events planned, she intends to have people knock on doors to inform renters of the rights they still have even after tenant protections have been weakened.