LA City Council Said No to Freezing Property for Rent Rates
A protest was held by advocacy groups for tenants’ rights after the Los Angeles City Council prevented a proposed ordinance from being implemented which would have frozen property for rent payment increases for a period of four months. The protest, which happened at City Hall, led to several arrests.
The proposal was meant to prevent owners of apartments from implementing rent increases between May and October 2010. The ordinance was reportedly proposed to give tenants some respite from the impact of the nationwide recession. The City Council ended up voting 10 to five against the proposal. It has now been sent to a committee for another study. Meanwhile, landlords can raise rents starting July 1 by up to three percent.
Following the vote, protesters made up of tenants and tenants’ rights advocates, reportedly caused chaos at the council meeting by shouting at council members and waving slogans. The protesters were said to have waited for five hours to hear the result of the vote. Upon hearing the result, they reportedly filled the aisle of the Council Chamber and police had to be called in to get them to leave.
According to some council members, the protesters expressed their anger over the vote for the property for rent measure in a violent manner and refused to heed the call for order. Three protesters were arrested after police officers were called in to restore calm to the Chamber. Some members of the Los Angeles Community Action Network, an advocacy group that participated in the protest, have revealed that one of the three arrested individuals was injured while being restrained by the police.
The group of protesters had stated that they will go to the Los Angeles Police Department’s Central Division station in support of the arrested individuals. Those who were arrested will be booked at the station and members of the demonstrating group have vowed to remain at the same station until their three colleagues were released.
The measure that would have prevented property for rent owners from raising rents have been voted down by the Los Angeles City Council. The ordinance is now in the hands of a special committee that will review the proposal further.
