Prior to the Tuesday’s City Council vote, only three total tenants had previously been appointed to the board since its inception in 2017.
, but tenants now make up 80% of the city’s five-seat Rent Board — a dramatic power shift since the governing body’s inception., as elected officials weighed whether they should fill three vacancies with more voices from renters — a historically marginalized community — or push for a more balanced representation of the city’s 116,000 residents.
The program was a major victory to the nearly half of city residents who spent 35% or more of their income on rent, according to census data. Unsurprisingly, landlords and property owners have not been as enthusiastic about the policies. But a handful of elected officials and residents were not convinced that Richmond should risk polarizing the board in favor of compensating past inequities.
Martinez denied that request and stuck with the three residents he vetted, arguing that they will fairly hear all sides of an issue. Citing first-hand experience, Jamin Pursell — a small business owner, volunteer on several city boards and operations manager for the Richmond Progressive Alliance — said it’s been a continually difficult task trying to help local renters understand the basic benefits and programs offered by the Rent Board.
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