FRESNO (KMJ) — Fresno City Council has voted to approve Mayor Brand’s ‘Rental Housing Improvement Act’.
The measure sets into motion what’s being described as a pro-active inspection program. It’s designed to improve the quality of rental housing, and identify sub-standard conditions before they get worse.
But the issue has created a split down party lines, as Mayor Lee Brand has faced opposition from fellow Republican representatives on the City Council.
Garry Bredefeld, Clint Olivier, and Steve Brandau posted the three votes against the bill. Esmeralda Soria, Oliver Baines, and Luis Chavez represent the four votes in support of the measure.
“It’s very systematic, and it’s very complex, and well thought out, but it’s still casting a net over a lot of good folks,” says District 2 representative Steve Brandau.
He and Clint Olivier put forward a plan at the end of 2016, which would require a tenant with a problem to contact the City of Fresno themselves.
“Adding code enforcement officers that would directly go after complaints that go come into the City of Fresno.
“We even added an ombudsman position to make it easier for people to connect with the city.
“So a complaint comes in, we respond.”
The plan was passed.
“But the money was not appropriated,” adds Councilman Brand.
He thinks Mayor Brand’s ‘Rental Housing Improvement Act’ punishes the good apples, while not doing anything to find the bad ones.
Conversely, the City of Fresno says the now-approved plan actually does the opposite.
“The final product represents a sensible, reasonable, workable plan that will reward the good property owners and quickly identify the bad ones,” says Mayor Lee Brand.
“It’s a result of a very productive process that included important input from housing advocates, property owners, and civic leaders as well as my 38 years of experience in property management.”
The act means all residential rental units within the City of Fresno will be subject to inspection according to a random sampling, and the cost of inspections will not exceed $100 per unit.
The plan received support from numerous local housing groups, including the Fresno Chamber of Commerce and the California Apartment Association.
Hear the report from KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew as it passed:
Mayor Lee Brand joined KMJ’s Broeske and Musson to explain the new policy – you can hear his words clicking below:
