Oakland's City Council will consider declaring a housing emergency and a 90-day moratorium on certain rent increases at its meeting tonight.
The proposals were pushed by housing activists who say Oakland's skyrocketing rents are displacing many residents.
Mayor Libby Schaaf said on KQED's Forum Tuesday that she supports a 90-day moratorium as long as it gives landlords enough notice of the changes. She said landlords should receive only a warning, not a fine, after a first violation of the moratorium and be given an opportunity to correct the violation.
She also said the moratorium does not apply to many of Oakland's rental units that fall under the state’s Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act.
"We don't have the legal authority to control the rents on such a huge number of the rental units in Oakland," Schaaf said.