HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/28/2025 Item 5a, Slaughter
Laura Slaughter <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Renter protection ordinance
Dear Esteemed San Luis Obispo City Councilmembers and City Staff,
I am now a homeowner, but I remember my years as a renter in San Luis Obispo. I remember the places I lived in, including one with
rats skittering at night in the ceiling above my bedroom, termites decomposing the window sills, and a dirt floor in the garage. Even
when I worked two part time jobs as an EMT and waiting tables I hardly made enough to live in SLO County despite always sharing rent
with housemates. I remember carefully navigating relationships and housing issues with my property owners to try to make things better
but not push too hard and lose my housing.
This was over twenty years ago but it doesn’t seem like much has changed for renters in SLO except the cost of housing has greatly
outpaced income increases. Our community members who rent have little recourse when their homes are in poor condition or
uninhabitable. Further our city has little data identifying our rental stock, conditions, and rate of evictions. Numerous communities
across the country with similar attributes to SLO have recognized the need for renter protection and have enacted successful
ordinances. I hope our city will consider an ordinance for renter protection.
Kindly,
Laura Slaughter, RN, Family Nurse Practitioner
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