HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/24/2026 Item 4a, Albers
Laura Albers <laura@sloclimatecoalition.org>
Sent:Tuesday, February
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Comments re: Rental Housing Registry Study Session (Item 4a), 02/24/2026
Good evening Mayor and Councilmembers,
I had planned to attend tonight's council meeting, but am now unable to. I’m writing in support of
developing a rental registry and rental inventory system, although I know that the time to have comments
added is past.
The City’s Climate Action Plan makes it clear that reducing building emissions and improving energy
efficiency are essential to meeting our community’s climate goals. But we cannot effectively reduce
emissions from residential buildings if we don’t understand our rental housing stock - who is living in it,
what condition it’s in, and where energy burdens are highest.
Housing justice and climate justice are inseparable. Renters often have the least control over the
efficiency, electrification, and resilience of the homes they live in, yet they pay the utility bills and
experience the impacts of poor insulation, aging appliances, and rising costs.
For SLO Climate Coalition, a rental registry would allow us to better target our Home Energy Advising
program so that public resources reach renters and property owners who need support to lower energy
use and utility bills. Good climate policy requires good data.
And speaking personally, I rent a 500-square-foot studio in this city, and I can barely afford it. I am well-
educated, employed full-time, professionally connected, white, and I carry many additional privileges. If
housing feels financially precarious for someone like me, it is far more fragile for many others.
A rental registry is about transparency, informed policy, and aligning our housing systems with our
climate commitments. SLO Climate Coalition stands ready to partner with the City, landlords, and
tenants to ensure this tool strengthens both housing stability and climate resilience for our community.
Rooted in resilience,
Laura
Laura Albers, M.P.A.
She | her (why do pronouns matter?)
Executive Director
805.242.6779
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