Guest Opinion | District 5 Councilmember Jess Rivas: Rental Board is Democracy in Action

On April 19th, the City Council appointed 13 residents to serve on the newly created Pasadena Rental Housing Board. It was inspiring to see so many residents, especially tenants and working class immigrants who together make up the majority of our residents, participate in the meeting to make sure their voices were heard.

I shared, and the Council respected, the sentiment of the overwhelming majority of residents who spoke up and wrote in – that we should appoint those who are clearly committed to the success of the board and not those who have actively opposed its existence.

I commend my colleagues on the Council for listening to residents who have historically been unheard or ignored despite being the lifeblood of our wonderful city.

The story of the Rental Board is more than just one April meeting. Tens of thousands of residents, activists, and voters, over decades, have brought us this far toward stronger tenant protections.

Ignored by past City Councils, the people of Pasadena collected over 15,000 signatures to place rent control and tenant protections on the ballot. We voted nearly 54% in favor of these protections, a percentage that likely undercounts support given how many non-citizen tenants reside in our city.

The story of the Rental Board is a powerful one of democracy in action – of the people coming together to overcome the inaction of those at the top who guard the interests of the privileged few to the detriment of the many.

But if you were to only read the op-ed pages of this publication, you would be left with the impression that the Rental Board and its selection process were undemocratic and unfair. Vague, unsupported accusations of “political menace” and “naked use of political intimidation.” 

Cries of an “assault on constitutional norms” without elaboration. These bizarre claims appear to arise from a misunderstanding of what most residents sought. Residents did not ask that “only those who agreed with them should be considered.” 

Rather, they made the simple and common sense request that the Council not appoint those who have actively opposed the existence of the board or those who continue to try to eliminate it through the courts and undo the will of the voters. 

Had the Council appointed one of these applicants, it would have rightly been seen as an action taken in bad faith intended to undermine the democratically won board.

Ultimately, the Council selected a phenomenal set of residents to fairly and faithfully stand up our Rental Board. We have a board that gives voice to historically underrepresented and disadvantaged groups in our city. 

We will not have members who are actively suing to eliminate the board and strip away the hard-earned protections these groups have democratically won. There are also two members with material interests in rental property, and as a landlord myself, I feel well-represented and welcome their contributions.

Now the real work begins. 

So let us move forward together so that we can make Pasadena a place that truly works for everyone.