Affordable housing groups face big fee hike from Berkeley ballot measure

"Local affordable housing nonprofits are facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in new city fees because of a little-noticed provision in a ballot measure approved by Berkeley voters last year. The city's Rent Stabilization Board agreed at a meeting Thursday to give those organizations more time to pay new annual rental registration fees imposed under Measure BB, which match the fees Berkeley charges to for-profit landlords."

"Nonprofit leaders warn the additional costs will be difficult to bear for organizations that already run on slim margins, and could force affordable housing providers which typically can't raise tenants' rents, whether because of their mission or legal restrictions to cut back on other expenses such as building maintenance. It might mean that those organizations are not able to continue to manage or hold on to those properties, and that would be a horrible situation for the whole community,"

"The measure, which was initially developed by members of the rent board and backed by pro-tenant groups, passed with 56% of the vote in 2024, defeating a rival measure brought by landlords. Measure BB made an array of changes that broadly strengthened tenant protections, such as limiting the circumstances landlords could use to justify evictions and codifying tenants' rights to organize and bargain with property owners."

Berkeley's Measure BB expanded rent board authority and imposed annual rental registration fees equivalent to those charged to for-profit landlords. Local affordable housing nonprofits face hundreds of thousands of dollars in new city fees and are receiving extra time from the Rent Stabilization Board to pay the charges. Leaders warn that organizations operating on slim margins, often unable to raise tenant rents for mission or legal reasons, may need to cut maintenance or could be forced to stop managing or owning properties, threatening housing stability. Measure BB passed with 56% of the vote in 2024 and strengthened tenant protections including eviction limits and organizing rights.

Read at www.berkeleyside.org