During the June 6th San Luis Obispo city council meeting, eight Cal Poly students addressed the council during the general public comment period to call for action on controlling rent and landlords not properly maintaining their properties.
The eight students conducted interviews with about a hundred peers living in off-campus neighborhoods, saying they found instances of mold and rodent infestations, building code violations, and absent landlords.
San Luis Obispo mayor Erica Stewart said she empathized with the student’s experiences, asking city officials to respond to the comments.
Community development director Michael Gordon encouraged tenants to contact the city’s code enforcement hotline if there were any complaints, as it was the only method of rental housing enforcement the city has. Gordon, retiring at the end of this month, acknowledged that the quality and high cost of housing in San Luis Obispo is a long standing issue.
