Blog: Renters in Beverly Hills Get a Voice

For a while, I found it hard to believe that a government that’s for the people by the people existed. Recently within my own city limits, I have had a renewed sense of hope that we have a government that listens and cares and wants to make the right choices for the people of this community. While I can’t speak for the White House and Capitol Hill, I can say Beverly Hills may be onto something.

At the beginning of this year, I wrote a commentary to Patch when my son and I were forced to relocate due to the demolition of our apartment building for condo-ization. I thought I was just venting about the lack of relocation fees and the process of this relocation for myself and the other families within the five housing developments that were forced to vacate our homes. I never in a million years would have guessed that someone would have paid any attention to my post. But alas, soon after my commentary was published, one council member stepped in and made comments about the importance of keeping apartment stock, limiting condo-ization and providing relocation fees to the families forced to leave their homes. I was beside myself.

This council member was Vice Mayor John Mirisch. He promised through his comments to get these very important topics put on the agenda for a future city council study session. Much to my surprise, someone listened. Someone heard my cries from one little apartment down on the south side of Wilshire and he did something about it.

On July 3, 2012, the issues I mentioned above, amongst other important issues, like rent stabilization, were discussed in a City Council study session. Vice Mayor John Mirisch fought hard to get the other members of the council to review these antiquated policies and make changes that protect the renters of this city. However, much to my dismay, each one was shot down. Please click the link below to watch a video podcast of the study session in which these important topics were rejected.

http://beverlyhills.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=2754&meta_id=151213

Now, more than ever, I believe that it’s important to come together as renters and people that believe these policies need to be changed. I encourage you to write letters to our council members on these topics and the importance of them to you as an individual as well as to our community. Use our local media, the Patch, the Courier, etc. to write articles that will be read. In addition, I ask you to please re-elect John Mirisch to our city council next year on March 5 so we can continue to have a voice representing us that will help change these very important policies. After all, the renters of this city make up over half of the population and just like the rest of the city, we pay our taxes, we work hard and we spend our earnings within our city limits too. Our voices need to be heard and we need to be protected.