The San Mateo County Elections Office has provided clarification on why a rent control measure designed to limit annual rent increases and enforce “just cause” evictions was not placed on the November 2024 ballot, citing signature validity issues.

But supporters remain determined to continue the fight.

Earlier this year, a grassroots initiative led by community members, including representatives from Faith in Action Bay Area, collected more than 7,000 signatures in support of a new rent control measure. The proposed Redwood City Fair and Affordable Housing Initiative aimed to implement stricter rent control laws and improved protections against eviction for tenants.

It initially passed in a preliminary count, but was rejected on July 8 during a detailed review by the San Mateo County Elections Office.

“Regardless of the outcome, it is clear that reasonable rent control and adequate tenant protections are needed in Redwood City,” said Clara Jaeckel, a director of Faith in Action Bay Area and one of the supporters of the proposed ballot measure.

Faith in Action collected signatures from residents through various outreach methods, including door-to-door calls and visits to public spaces such as Red Morton Park.

According to Jaeckel, before collecting signatures, organizers asked each individual if they were registered to vote in Redwood City. She said before dropping off the petitions, the organization hired a firm that specializes in collecting signatures. The firm conducted several spot checks to verify batches of signatures and found that validity rates ranged from 73% to 85%.

In May, supporters of the measure submitted 6,406 signatures, about 150 percent of the number needed to put it on the ballot.

However, the county election office accepted only 4,095 valid signatures, which corresponds to a validity rate of 63.9%.

The county used its Election Management System (EMS) to verify the signatures. The system searches for each voter by the name or address listed on the petition. If the voter is found, the county compares the signature on file with the one on the petition.

A signature is accepted as valid if it matches and the voter meets the following conditions: he is not marked as canceled or pending in the EMS, he has not signed the petition more than once, he was registered at the specified residential address at the time of signing, and that address is within the district.

According to Mark Church, chief election official for San Mateo County, over 700 signatories did not live within the “city limits” of Redwood City, but rather in the “unincorporated” city of Redwood City. The remaining rejections followed the typical pattern for a petition of this size.

Faith in Action Bay Area has partnered with an attorney to investigate further. The group is committed to continuing its affordable housing efforts, stressing that the problem of skyrocketing rents remains unsolved.

According to a report by the Anti-Eviction Mapping Project, Redwood City residents are experiencing an unprecedented affordability crisis, with the average rent for an apartment exceeding $3,250 a month. The findings also suggest that the city’s rental market is dominated by corporate investors, many of whom are based outside the city.

Jaeckel points out that many families, seniors and essential workers are being forced out of the city due to unaffordable housing costs. She recalls receiving a strong response from community members when she collected signatures in support of the measure.

“We will continue our work to protect the dignity of Redwood City’s tenants and enable families to remain in their homes,” Jaeckel added.

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