HomeMy WebLinkAbout5/26/2026 Item 5a, Coari
Tyler Coari <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Housing Codes Need to be Enforced
Dear Mayor Stewart, City Council Members, and Staff,
Thank you for holding the special study session on code enforcement. The Tenants Union appreciates
your commitment, expressed in our Major City Goals, to healthy, safe, and affordable housing.
It is clear from the staff report that more CE staff are urgently needed to handle the increase in calls
received, fulfill current responsibilities under existing programs and priorities, meet increased demand
from expanded and reprioritized programs, and anticipate other needs that might arise from the
rental registry and other initiatives in the coming years. I therefore request that the Council direct
staff to:
Hire additional CE personnel and permanently assign a full-time CE Officer to the Safe Housing
Program;
Begin more affirmative enforcement of the existing minimum habitability standards;
Shield tenants from landlord retaliation and unfair eviction when they report violations;
Take concrete steps to educate residents and owners/managers and connect them with
resources; and
Improve transparency by tracking and reporting more comprehensive enforcement data.
We also support a smoke-free multifamily housing ordinance that prohibits smoking within individual
units. Any such policy should include a graduated, multistep enforcement process handled by Code
Enforcement and must also prohibit evictions solely for smoking violations. This approach prioritizes
education, compliance, and public health without putting housing stability at risk.
For any health and safety policy to be effective, there must be education, information, and
meaningful accountability. After a decade in which our leaders have done nothing to hold landlords
accountable for unsafe and unhealthy living conditions, please tell us what steps you will take now to
improve conditions for renters and ensure even minimal compliance with local and state codes?
We are a city of renters. Thank you for your prompt attention to our needs.
Best,
Tyler Coari, MPP
pronouns he/him/his
Active Transportation Committee Member
Co-Founder of the SLO Tenants Union
SLO County Democratic Party
_______
cell 760-607-7303
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