Letter to the Editor: Resident Give Credit to City Council for Taking Action

I have been critical of City Councils both past and present. It is important to give credit when credit is due.

At last night’s City Council meeting, renters spoke en masse about receiving “no reason” 60-day eviction notices. These residents have lived in Burbank for years, some for decades, and they spoke of their love for our city and about how they contribute meaningfully to making Burbank wonderful in many ways. Their apartment buildings had been recently sold and the new owner (evidently a corporation) has decided to evict all tenants, most of whom are low income. The speakers are responsible, decent and hardworking people and families now on the verge of being homeless. They have no money to pay for a move, nowhere to move to and their lives are filled with fear and panic as they are on the brink of a financial and emotional disaster that they did not cause.

In the past, our city leaders would probably have simply referred all these desperate people to the Landlord Tenant Commission and left it at that. In fact, that is what City Staff attempted to do last night. But our City Council understood that this was a crisis happening before their eyes. They took responsibility and immediately and unanimously voted to add this situation to the agenda so they could address it and explore what action could be taken to protect their constituents. They responded with compassion, accountability and leadership.

Anyone who watched last night’s Public Comment and was not shaken and moved is the definition of heartless. These people are being treated with abject cruelty and brutality by this new landlord. While a solution will take time, I am grateful that my neighbors were not responded to with empty promises and shrugged shoulders. We are a small city and we need to take care of each other, and our Council last night showed they understand how important this is for all of us.

Linda Bessin
Burbank