The Impact of Tenant Protections for Redwood City

Redwood City is home for over 82,000 residents who live, work, pray, and play in our city. But our current housing affordability crisis is jeopardizing the well-being of thousands of our children, elders, friends, and neighbors.

Tenant protections – including rent stabilization, just cause for eviction, and tenant anti-harassment protections – will help thousands of families stay and thrive in Redwood City.  By advancing these protections together, the Redwood City Fair and Affordable Housing ordinance provides a comprehensive set of safeguards that will keep our community together and healthy long-term.

The purpose of this report is to understand the implications of proposed rent control and tenant protections policies for the people of Redwood City, and who will benefit from these protections. 

Key findings:

• Average rents in Redwood City have increased 47% from 2010 to 2025. Rents in units eligible to be rent-stabilized increased 56% over the same time period. 
• Two out of three low-income families are paying more than half of their income on housing, up from 44 percent just ten years ago.
• Approximately 22,235 people in Redwood City could be protected by rent stabilization, meaning they will be able to afford to stay in Redwood City. 
• Approximately 40,000 people could have increased housing stability through just cause and anti-harassment protections in Redwood City. This includes nearly 5,000 children under the age of 18 and 6,250 seniors.

Tenant protections will provide significant benefits for families:

• Protects residents threatened by attacks from the current federal administration, including immigrants, LGBTQ youth, women, and low-income residents, seniors, and people living with a disability.
• Reduces evictions, displacement, and homelessness.
• Puts more money into renters’ pockets, helping improve affordability and boosting the local economy.
• Increases school attendance and promotes educational attainment for the 5,000 children who live in renter households that will gain stronger protections.
• Reduces stress-related health impacts of displacement and improves environmental health risks.