CONCORD — Concord renters, housing advocates, community members, and members of the Raise the Roof Coalition rallied at Todos Santos Park on Tuesday before marching to City Hall, calling on the City Council to resist pressure from corporate landlords and reverse recent efforts to weaken the city’s Rent Stabilization and Just Cause for Eviction program, according to a release from the Worker Agency.
The protesters voiced dissent against Mayor Laura Hoffmeister, Councilmember Carlyn Obringer, and Councilmember Edi Benavente, criticizing their votes to weaken renter protections. Upon arriving at City Hall, demonstrators refused to enter the council chambers as a form of protest, the release noted.
The ordinance, which for the first time provided Concord tenants protections against steep rent hikes and unjust evictions, had been in effect for only 11 months before the City Council moved to dismantle it, according to The Worker Agency.
Protesters wore T-shirts reading “Real Concord Resident” and carried signs with messages such as “Concord for Sale” and “Hands Off Our Housing,” underscoring their opposition to the rollback of renter protections.
The demonstration followed a March 25 City Council meeting, during which the California Apartment Association (CAA) allegedly countered the decade-long push for tenant protections by paying attendees—including non-Concord residents—to pack the meeting and advocate for dismantling the ordinance, the release continued.
Concord resident Jackson Brody publicly exposed the alleged scheme saying, “At the last council meeting, I was disturbed at what it turned out to be, what I was there to represent, and moreover by the shamelessness of the organizing party. I was also pretty disturbed that they had people from anywhere but Concord representing themselves as residents.”
Brody expressed relief at connecting with the Raise the Roof Coalition and speaking out: “I really think that paying these kinds of ‘astroturfists’ to pretend to sincerely represent a stance on rent control is very analogous to what we see happening nationally—with Elon Musk trying to buy elections in Wisconsin, the Supreme Court, and God only knows where else,” he said.
According to release, the Council voted to implement changes that will take effect in 30 days, including allowing annual rent increases of up to 5% flat (up from the previous 3% or 60% of CPI cap), and exempting most single-family homes and condos from just cause eviction protections.
Betty Gabaldon, President of the Todos Santos Tenant Union and an organizer with EBASE, criticized the council’s decision: “The City Council didn’t even bother to give the ordinance a year and study the data before deciding to move forward with these changes that will make it harder for Concord’s renting families, seniors, and young individuals to stay housed,” she said.
Gabaldon added, “For eight years, tenants like me have made our voices heard through our local democracy. The City has all the research and data proving the importance of the original ordinance for thousands of Concord residents, and is making an active decision to ignore these facts and our voices in favor of real estate lobbyists and corporate landlords.”
According to Concord’s own Housing Element, the city’s state-mandated affordable housing plan, median rents have jumped over 44% since 2010, while renters’ incomes have only risen by 37%, pushing many residents into housing instability or forcing them to leave Concord in search of affordability.
Despite the setback, residents pledged to continue fighting. Blanca Colin, a Concord resident and Rising Juntos member, stated, “Even though the ordinance has been stripped, we will continue to fight for our right to a stable home and community in Concord and remain united against corporate influence.”
Colin continued, “Our fight is local, but it’s part of the bigger picture of corporate corruption happening nationwide. Concord is our home, and we will not let corporate landlords have the final say over what happens here.”
