Ballot Measure C: Harvard University Study Sets Record Straight

Pacifica apartment owners should receive a fair rate of return. And Pacifica families who rent an apartment in good faith should be able to sleep at night without fear that the owner can double their rent on a whim.

This is why I support Pacifica ballot measure C, which allows rent increases and makes the increases fair and predictable.

Who would oppose a measure that ensures apartment owners a fair return on their investment while ensuring renters peace of mind and stability in their homes? The San Mateo Realtors Association and the National Realtors Association have reportedly paid over $100,000 to oppose this measure. Why are national realtors involved in a Pacifica election? And why are San Mateo realtors making up claims?

To set the record straight, according to a Harvard University study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University there is no evidence that renters hurt housing prices. On the contrary, “Houses with apartments nearby actually enjoy a slightly higher appreciation rate than houses that don’t have apartments nearby.”

With respect to crime, the study found “The rate of police activity in apartment communities is no worse than in single family subdivisions, and in many cases, is lower than in single family areas.”

We didn’t have the power to prevent Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria from displacing people in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, but on November 7, we can vote for measure C to prevent unlimited rent increases from displacing people in Pacifica.

Written by Joe Barison, a Pacifica resident.