RICHMOND, CA- On December 17th 2024, the Richmond City Council passed a pivotal ordinance to overhaul the city’s housing code enforcement system. After two years of relentless organizing and campaigning led by local residents and members of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) and important legal support from California Center for Movement Legal Services (Movement Legal), the ordinance is set to transform how Richmond ensures safe and habitable housing for all tenants.

The newly adopted ordinance mandates routine inspections of all residential units every three years, eliminates the current flawed self-certification program for large buildings, and strengthens oversight of housing conditions citywide. These changes close longstanding gaps in Richmond’s current complaint-based system, which left tenants in unsafe housing and afraid to report violations due to fear of retaliation.

Richmond will now adopt an updated Code Enforcement Program that holds landlords accountable for deplorable living conditions and ensures no tenant is forced to live in uninhabitable housing.