City Council

(3) 21-0042-S5 CONTINUED CONSIDERATION OF EXEMPTION from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guideline Section 15061(b)(3) and Article II, Section 1 of the City CEQA Guidelines; HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS COMMITTEE REPORT, AMENDING MOTION 13A (RAMAN - BLUMENFIELD - MCOSKER), AMENDING MOTION 13B (BLUMENFIELD - MCOSKER - RAMAN), and ORDINANCE FIRST CONSIDERATION relative to adding Section 165.09 to Article 5, Chapter XVI of the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) to require payment of specified relocation assistance to certain tenants when the tenant elects to relinquish their rental unit due to the inability to pay rent increases as specified. A. HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS COMMITTEE REPORT and ORDINANCE FIRST CONSIDERATION SUBMITS WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION the following recommendations of the City Attorney, SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MAYOR: 1. FIND that the adoption of the Ordinance attached to the City Attorney report (R23-0017) dated January 23, 2023, attached to Council file No. 21-0042-S5, is exempt from the CEQA through Section 15061(b)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines and Article II, Section 1 of the City CEQA Guidelines. 2. PRESENT and ADOPT the accompanying ORDINANCE, dated January 23, 2023, adding Section 165.09 to Article 5, Chapter XVI of the LAMC to require payment of specified relocation assistance to certain tenants when the tenant elects to relinquish their rental unit due to the inability to pay rent increases as specified. B. AMENDING MOTION 13A (RAMAN - BLUMENFIELD - MCOSKER) Recommendation for Council action: AMEND Section 165.09 A. of the draft ordinance to strike and replace the following language: "A landlord of residential real property subject to this article shall provide the relocation assistance specified in this section to a tenant who elects to relinquish their tenancy-due to their inability to pay following a proposed rental increase that exceeds the lesser of ( 1) the Consumer Price Index-All Urban Consumers, plus five percent, or (2) ten percent." C. AMENDING MOTION 13B (BLUMENFIELD - MCOSKER - RAMAN) Recommendation for Council action: AMEND to ADD the following: a. AMEND the draft Ordinance to include a severability clause. b. AMEND Section 165.09 A. of the draft Ordinance to clarify that a rent increase that would trigger the displacement provisions should be based on the contracted monthly rent for the unit, excluding any promotional rents or rent discounts. c. STRIKE Section 165.09 E. of the draft Ordinance. d. INSTRUCT the Los Angeles Housing Department to report within 90 days on renter protection policies in other cities within Los Angeles County, as well as to report on how the City's new renter protections may impact housing production.