Lucinda Lilley
2021 President Southern California Rental Housing Association
SCRHA is your voice in advocacy at the local, state, and national arenas!
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s I write this, we are preparing for the San Diego County Board of Supervisors’ second reading of an ordinance that would halt all evictions and termination of tenancies and limit even further our right to increase rent. For those of you who were involved with the first reading of the ordinance, I am sure that you were as disheartened as I was. For hours, we listened to callers as they hurled insults at us housing providers. We heard threats and we heard “quid pro quo” from callers demanding the ordinance be approved. We were told to get “real jobs.” Some of us who registered to speak were never called upon. The callers in favor of the ordinance outnumbered those of us in opposition by a huge majority. The ordinance is a canned piece of legislation provided by tenant’s rights advocates, which is why it is one sided. Of course, its supporters were ready. Proponents and Supervisor Vargas docketed the ordinance last minute as an urgency ordinance on a holiday weekend to hopefully prevent major turn out from housing providers. This is San Diego’s new political climate where elected representatives no longer listen to both sides and work toward compromise. Our team at the SCRHA worked ALL weekend to analyze and mobilize. Molly Kirkland, Director of Public Affairs worked around the clock that weekend to assure that San Diego professional and trade organizations were aware of the effort. She issued Calls to Action to gain industry involvement. She gained support from the area Realtors, IREM San Diego, CCIM, and more. Molly and Alan Pentico, Executive Director, advised our Executive Committee throughout the weekend as they crafted our position and Calls to Action. And our Executive Committee responded in support.
Our membership often asks, “How does SCRHA decide what to do in these situations?” I am happy to answer that question. As a volunteer for many years with this organization, and especially now as its President, here is what I know: 1. The SCRHA is careful in our messaging to assure we are representing our membership as community partners – housing providers. Landlords have been the pundits of jokes for centuries, as it only takes one bad apple to spoil it for all of us. So, we do not react and reply rashly as we have seen others do. It only makes it worse. Instead, we take great care in stating our position to present the industry in the best way possible -We are housing providers, evictions are not a business model. 2.The SCRHA IS known as a “go to” for information concerning legislation that will affect our members, for members and elected representatives alike. Molly Kirkland, Director of Public Affairs, and our Executive Director, Alan Pentico, spend hours analyzing and consulting those who represent us. Building our reputation as the rental housing industry leaders has taken time. In many ways it has paid off, as SCRHA has a reputation for being problem solvers. However, in these extraordinary times, it is easy for politicians to choose public opinion. 3. The Executive Committee of the Board of Directors remains at the ready to support and advise our staff in representation of our membership. We listen to our team present the options available, provide feedback, and support our staff and our membership as they work on our behalf toward our goals. May 2021 socalrha.org | 3
