Due to a critical shortage of decent, safe and sanitary housing in the unincorporated
areas of the county, the board of supervisors enacted the ordinance codified in this
chapter and from time to time extended it. A two-year phased deregulation extended
rent control until June 30, 1983. It was based upon the extreme financial hardship
to and a dislocation of numerous rent-controlled tenants which would ensue as a result
of immediate termination of rent regulation. The board now finds that because rents
to existing tenants have been held at artificially low levels, a two-tier rent structure
has been created; that is, market-rate rents for new tenants and substantially under-market
rents for tenants with controlled units. By lifting all controls at this time, the
rent levels on the regulated units will have a tendency to rise to market value in
a relatively short period. The result will be tenant dislocation and short-term economic
hardships, especially for the elderly, if the current ordinance is immediately terminated.
The board finds that, due to vacancy decontrol, a large percentage of rental units
are no longer subject to rent control and, further, that rental units occupied by
the elderly are more likely still to be subject to rent control since the mobility
of such individuals is substantially less than that of other renters. Therefore, those
elderly on fixed incomes who remain in controlled units will be severely impacted
by sudden decontrol. The board, nevertheless, finds that it is necessary in the long
term to provide sufficient incentives and reduce rent-control regulation in order
to create opportunities for new construction in the county. For these reasons, this
board now finds it necessary in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of
the inhabitants of the unincorporated area of the county, to adopt a transition ordinance
with a 30-month term, terminating on December 31, 1985. The transition ordinance provides
that during the last 12 months of its term (January 1, 1985 through December 31, 1985),
units shall be permanently removed from rent control based on the month that the tenant
then occupying the controlled unit initially moved into the unit. For example, if
a tenant moved into a controlled unit on March 5, 1975, the unit would be removed
from rent control on March 31, 1985; if the tenant moved in on December 1, 1977, the
unit would be removed on December 31, 1985. The board finds that this mechanism will
ease the administrative difficulties in winding down the ordinance.
