Oxnard —The Community Services, Public Safety, Housing, and Development Committee partially approved its Anti-Harassment Ordinance and considerable debate.
The Committee approved A, C, and D, while B will return to the Committee.
Oxnard Housing Department Assistant Director Albert Ramirez said landlords employ coercive techniques to induce tenants to vacate their rent-stabilized homes by reducing services, issuing eviction notices based on false grounds, threatening Immigration, and conducting repairs by law.
“Tenants leave because of these tactics and because landlords are allowed to raise rent to market without abiding by the 4 percent rent caps through the City’s fair petition process,” he said.
Several cities have adopted anti-harassment ordinances, which serve as a deterrent to illegal conduct and help tenants defend themselves against harassment.
“The Housing Staff engaged Attorney Stephen Lewis to prepare an Anti Harassment Ordinance, and he included best practices from the various jurisdictions while ensuring the Ordinance did not violate any constitutional protections,” Ramirez said.
“The proposed Ordinance prohibits harassment by individuals and identifies specific acts and omissions by landlords who harass tenants,” he said. Violators are committing a misdemeanor and may be criminally prosecuted by the City.
He said other jurisdictions include Anti-Harassment Laws in their rent…
