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Home My WebLink AboutORD 3411l • • ORIGINAL ORDIN~"JCE NO. 3 411 ORDINANCE 0£-' THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO ADDING CHAPTER 9.70 TO THE PALO ALTO MUNICIPAL CODE PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST FAMILIES WITH MINOR CHILDREN IN THE RENTAL OR LEASING OF CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY The Council of the City of Palo Alto df)es ORDA!N as fol.lows: gcTION 1. Chapter 9. 70 is hereby 3dded to the Palo Jtl to Municipal Code to read as follows: "Chapter: 9~7(} Discrimination A9ainst 1-'<~~ilies With Minor Children In Housing Sect.ions: 9.70.1''10 9.70.020 9.70.010 9.70.040 9.70.050 9.70.060 Findings and purpose. Defini.U.ons. Prohibited activities. E x e mp t i on s • RequirciTH..:nts t:.f fin~ne:ial obligations not prohibited. Penaltiesjremedie5. 9.70.v~O ?indinge and purpose. '!'he City Council ti~ds and declares that: {a) Arbitrary discrimination aga1nst persons with minor chi.ldren exists in the City of Palo Alto. (b) The existence of such discrimination poses a substantial threat to the public health and welfare of a large segment of th~ community, name ly, families with children. (c) The overall effect cf such discrimination i.s to encqurage the flight of families from trf' City of Palo Alto, resulting in the decline ·0f stable, i ntergenerat io:1a 1 neighborhoods, the clo sure of schools, and t~~ reduction qf social and recreational ser\·ices fo:r: children and their families. (d) Such di~crimination cuts across all racial, ethnic, and economic lines, but falls most -1- J, • ORI'GINAL ORDINANCE NO. 3411 ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO At.TO ADDING CHAPTER 9.70 TO THE PALO ALTO MUNICIPAL CODE PROHIBITING DI SCRIM! NATION AGA.INST Fl\Hir~I ES WITH MINOR CHILDREN IN THE RENTAL OR LEASING OF CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY The Council of the City of Palo Alto does ORDAIN as follows: SEC'riON 1. Chapter 9. 70 is hereby acided to the Palo Alto M\.micipaiCode-to read ·as follows: "'Chaptel· 9. 70 Discriminat:~on Against Fa~i1ies With Minor Children In Rousing Sections: 9.70.010 9.70.020 9.70.0.30 9.70.040 9.70~050 Findings ~r.d purpose. Definitions. Prohibited activities. Exemptions. Requirer\~Bnts of f lnancial obl t<)at ions not prohibitBd. 9.70.060 p~ ~;:f;:· 9. 1o.o1o r. Council finds ·- (a) Arbi with minor ch Alto. (b) The poses a substao. welfare of a l ly, famil1es w (c) Tbe is to encoura City of Palo stable1 interg~ On ~arch 2~'. 198~, hock Vubl~shing Company~ l dur1ng codiflcat1on of the supplement, dis-~ ~overed that the Cod~ currently contains a ' Chapter 9.70 and requested that thev be ~ gra~ted permission to use the chapt~r desit natlon of 9.74 instead. sure of schools r and the reOLiC't.lon u~. cv"".~-....... .... .. ~ recreational ser<lices for children and tbE.·ir families. (d) Such racial, ethnic, di~crimination cuts across all and economic lines, but falls most -1- L---------------------------------............................ ~ ' heavily on minority and slnqle-parenl families wilh children. (e) It is consistent with the Housing Element of the General Plan to promote and ensure open and free choice of housing without discrimination on the basis of age or family composition. (f) Because housing is a fundamental neces sity of life, it is again!:'.t the public policy of the City of Palo .<\lto to d.l.scriminate in t·enta.l housing against persons based upon lheir age, parenthood, pregnancy, or the pc·tenlL:d or actual tenancy of a minor child. 9 .. 70.020 Definitions. fo\': ltH" put~p~:~sE·~:; o t this chapter~ certa .l n terms a r:e chd ined as f o 1- lows: (a) 11.Senior .3dul ts 1' shall mean per so:·!~' 62 years or age or older. (b) nHousing accommodationsN sha.11 mean any residential rental unit consisting of one or more rooms in which cooking facU.itiE·s are avaiL:I)l.e. (c) ~~~uno& child'~ shall rrwan any natural person under the age of 18 years. (d) ~Person" shall mean any individual, firm, pa.rtnershipt joint venture, association, corpo-ca tion, estate, or trust. 9~70~~30 Prohibited activities. It shall be unlawful fo~ any person having a housing accom modation for rent or lease, or any authorized agent or employee of such person~ to do or attempt to do any of the following: (a) Refuse to rent or lease a housing accom modation, r.efuse to neg~?tiate for the rental or lease of a housing accommodation, or otherwise deny to or withhold from any person or persons, a hous ing accommodation on the basis of age, parenthood, pregnancy, or the potential or actual tenancy of a minor.' child. (b) Discriminate against any person in the terms.. conditions, or privileges of t.he rental or lease of a housing accommodation, or in the p~ovi- ~2- • ::,ion of servic0s, facilities or benefits, in con--· nection therewith, on the basis of age, carenthoorl, preqnancy, or the potential or actual tenancy of a minor child. However, nothing herein shall pre clude any person from imposing reasonable restric t ions on the use of common areas, fac i 1 it i es, .~nd services which are necessary to protect the hr1al th and safety of a tenant. (c) Repr.esen t to any per son on the basis of aqe, parenthood, pregnancy, or-the potent .1. a l or actual tenancy of a minor child thi'~t. (I how;in•J accommodation is not available for iw;pcct ion, rental, or lec.se when such ho us in<] ar::·cclrnmm1d t ion is 1 in fact, available. (d\ Make, print, or publish~ or cause to fx-: made, printed, or published any notice, st.dtemt-•nt 1 si.qn, advertisement, application~ or contrac:t with regard to a housing accommodation offered hy that per·son that inclicates any r:refer:ence, limitation, or d iscr imina t ion with respect to aqe 1 pa:r..~n thood $ pregnancy, or the p0tential or actual tenancy of a minor child. (e) ln<~lude in any rental agreement or lease for ~ hous inq accornmod at ion, a clause or concH u.on providing that as a condition of continued tenancy_. the tenant.s shall remain childless or shalt not. bear children or othe-rwise not maintain a household with a person of a certain age. (.f) Refuse to rent after making a bona fide offer, or to refuse to negotiate for the rental of, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, housing accommodations to any person because of the potBn tial tenancy of a minor child or children. (g) Limit occupancies to fewer than two natural persons per bedroom, ~nl~ss that number exceeds the maximum allowed under: the superficial floor space requ i :cements of Sect ion 50 3 ~ 'J) of the Uniform Housing Code. For those housing accommoda tions without any bedroom, no Pf~rson shall bt= re quired to r.en t or lease to .more t.h.an 0ne person. In no case shall such occupancy limits apply to a newborn infant durinq the term o{ any lease in effect on the date of birth of such infant unless that limit implements tbe superficial floor space requirements of Section 503{b) of the Uniform Hous- -3- e • inq Code. All occupancies uniformly imposed and either on the premises or: contained r·ules or notice. limitation~ nh<~ll bn con sp i c uou ~l I y fH tH t l'·d in a writtf7n pol icy, (h) Evict or otherwise demanr'l surn!ndP~ nf d housing accommodation fr·om any per.~_;on hec .. :tUiW of aqe, parenthood, pregnancy or pn~P;enc(: of <l minor child. (i) Charge a~ditional in a hous i nq accommoda.t ion parenthood, preqnancy, or child. t:ent for j)€t:'f>nnG liv\nq on the baG.\.s \)f ,:q\•, pt"(::sence of " minor 9.70 .. 040 Exemptions. NcJthlnq <.~(Jnt(~1.in(::11 ~n this chapter shall apply to o-r be con~>t.nwd~ (a) To affect a housinq pr.oj~::~ct nr d<!IJ(•lop men t where t.he owner ha.s pubJ. i call y f~s t a hl i r>h t:d ;md implementecl a policy of rentinq exc.ltWl\ll:iy tn senior adults a.nd their spouses. Devianr:r-; frorn or· abandomn:=nt C1f that policy shall aut.Olll.iltici'\Uy terminate this ext:mption and subject tlw olmPJ' Lr) all the provisions of this orriinance. (o) '.Po affect home, convalescent facility. any state home, or J. icerwr:<i rnn·:; ll'''l \':Oli1!111JI1ity <'dt'f.~ (c) To apply to any housing accommodntion occupied by the owner. (d) To apply to any housing accommorlation occupied· by a tenant who subleases any port ion of that accommodation to another tenant. (e) To affect any area or tract of land where two or more mobile home lots are rent~d or leclsed or held out for t·ent or h~ase to accommuc'late mohilr: homes used for. numan habitation. 9~70.050 Requirementa of financiAl obliga tions not. prohibited. This ordinancfl Rhal t not prohibit the person havi,nq the riqht to rent or lease the premis~s from r.equi r i nq t.he A··~ me ront, deposits, fees or cha~qes o.E proap~~ctivn adult tenants with minor children as he or Ahv m~y re quire of prospect. i ve adult teniln ~: n w J. thnut chi 1- dcen. Howevet', no di.r,cn:· iminat ion j n t"Jt(~ am~}unt or -4~ -. . ' . ' . . . ' . . ,-. ~ . . . ·. . -.. . . - • manner of payment of said rent, deposi ls, feef:l or charges shall be permitted. 9.70.060 Violations of infraction. Penalties/re•ediee. this chaple~ shall (a) Cri•inal. conflL1LL't~ .3.n (b) Civil. Any person who violates the provisions of this chapter shall he liable to each party injured by such violation for .f..lClual damaqes sustained by such pet son, co;;:~lf:; and reasonabl c attorneys fees. In add.i.tionv lhr.;> court may award punitive darnages. (c) Injunctive relief~ Any pernon who commits, Ot" proposes to commitr an ;Jetton Jn. viola tion of this chapter may be en:joi.ned th(~t·efr.om by any court of competent juriarliclion. !'.ny action for injunclivc: n~licf. under this ord i na.nce may be brought by l hn c i ly al tor ney, by any aggrieved personr by othc~ law enforcement agencies, by the dtst.t~iet. altot·n0y O'C by any pen:;on o r e n t i t y w h i c h w 1 11 t .1 i r 1 y a n d ad e qua t e l y rep r e ~ sent the interests of the protected claE8. SECTION 2. The Council finch~ th::lt none ot the provisions of this orainancewi""ll have a signif.icant environmental impact. §.ECTION 3. ~~ve rabi 1 i tl• If any sect ion, subsect ton, sentence, clause or phrase of this chapter is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional, such decision shall ~ot affect the validity of the remaining portions of this chapter. The Council he~eby declares that it would have passed this chapter .. and each section, subsection, sen tence, clause and phrase thereof~ trrespective of the fact that any one or more sections~ Sllbsections, 8~ntences, clauses or phrases had been declared invalid or unconstitutional. SEC'l'ION 4. This ordinance shall become ~ffective upon the com mencement of the thi rty-f .irst day aflex: the date of its passage. IN'rRODUCED: January 17, 1983 PASSED: february 7, 1983 AYES: Bechtel, Cobb, Eyerly, f3.ZZ1no, Fletcher, Klein, Levy, Renzel, v)i therspoon NOES: None -5- •• • • ABSTENTIONS: None ABSENT ~ No n e APPROVED: -~;1: ~L-.---May~ -6-