Renter protections should be in place in San Rafael’s Canal neighborhood before improvements are made to shore up the vulnerable community against sea-level rise, a new study recommends.
The report, which analyzes the role property rights play in adaptation planning, focused on six Bay Area neighborhoods. For the Canal area, the report recommended that rent control and eviction protections in the Canal area precede physical adaptation measures such as elevating streets, building floating paths and restoring the marsh. This is to prevent displacing residents and potential “climate gentrification,” the authors said.
The water is expected to rise by at least a foot in the Bay Area between now and 2050 — and more than 6 feet by 2100 — according to the California Ocean Protection Council. Global sea levels have already risen around 8 inches since 1880, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This is caused by global warming.
The report, titled “Bayshore Urbanism: Property and Climate Change Adaptation on San Francisco Bay,” was compiled by the nonprofit Next 10 and the University of California at Berkeley. It was released Oct. 24.
Carly Finkle, a policy manager with the San Rafael nonprofit Canal Alliance, said more than 90% of the neighborhood’s residents are renters. Finkle said that reality needs to be “front and center” when looking at the strategies outlined by the report.
“We need transformative property strategies that center on the safety and stability of renters,” Finkle said. “We cannot just consider the costs, tradeoffs and incentives offered to property owners. We must also consider the parallel strategies required to support the resilience and stability of the renters who face the greatest threats to safety and displacement.”