Letter: Vote “Yes” on Measure S: Affordable Rents in San Pablo Keep Our Communities Healthy
Many San Pablo residents are worried. Corporate landlords and policy decisions at the state and federal levels have tipped the scales against renters. With inflation and rent continuing to rise, renters in the city worry about keeping roofs over their heads, about their parents being able to age in place, or their kids staying in the same schools. As a lifelong resident and Council member of San Pablo, and as a national public health expert who has worked deeply with San Pablo residents, we know these worries are well founded, and what they mean for the health of San Pablo. We have seen families, neighbors, and constituents be forced to move far away from their loved ones because of rent increases and unjust evictions. Some have had to make the impossible choice between refilling a medical prescription, or paying their rent and keeping their home. Housing insecurity impacts the most vulnerable in this city: families targeted by ICE, seniors on fixed incomes, people with disabilities, working moms, and others who make up the 58% of San Pablo households who are renters.
