Following four months of relentless advocacy by the California Apartment Association and local rental housing providers, the Concord City Council on Tuesday became the first in the Bay Area to amend a strict rent control ordinance.

The council voted 3-2 to finalize changes that will bring modest balance to the city’s rent regulations.

This action on April 22 follows weeks of public testimony and extensive council deliberation across four meetings, each lasting up to five hours. Mayor Carlyn Obringer and Councilmembers Pablo Benavente and Laura Hoffmeister voted in favor, while Vice Mayor

Laura Nakamura and Councilmember Dominic Aliano opposed.

CAA testified in support of the modest revisions, emphasizing the financial burden of pending fee increases in the city’s rent registry program, which housing providers are required to fund.

In an interview with KTVU, Joshua Howard, CAA’s executive vice president of local public affairs, said amending the ordinance helps both renters and housing providers by offering “reliability, stability and predictability,” enabling renters to anticipate rent increases and allowing landlords to keep up with rising costs.

The changes will take effect around May 22, 30 days after the council’s second reading of the ordinance. CAA advises Concord housing providers to adhere to the current version of the ordinance until then and to consult legal counsel before making tenancy adjustments after that date.

The vote marks a historic shift in the region’s housing policy. Rarely do local governments revisit rent control ordinances to improve fairness and economic sustainability. The result in Concord was driven by the persistence, patience and perseverance of local housing providers who wrote letters, delivered testimony, and showed up in force at City Hall.

While Concord leads the way in Northern California, another major city is now following a similar path. On April 22, the Salinas City Council voted to move forward with a resolution to repeal its rent control ordinance and instead pursue a rental assistance program.