Housing affordability is a financial burden that impacts a majority of Californians. A poll conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California found that 68% of California residents view housing affordability and homelessness as a big problem. It’s also no secret that housing and rent prices in the Golden State are far higher than the rest of the country. Data from the Legislative Analyst’s Office shows that purchasing a 2-bedroom home is now almost twice as expensive as the average rent in the state.
Faced with the reality of a housing shortage and wages that haven’t kept up with the increase in housing costs, homeownership is more of a myth than an achievable goal for many Californians struggling to make ends meet. On top of that disheartening reality, the increased cost of renting – in a state with the nation’s second-highest rate of renters – continues to burden California renters, who tend to be younger and are more likely to be Black or Latino compared to homeowners.
Supporting the creation of affordable housing and strengthening renter protections is a cause that affects ALL Californians. This November 5th, 2024 General Election, California voters get a chance to vote on Proposition 33, a ballot measure that would expand the authority of local governments to enact rent control.
What is Proposition 33
Ballot Proposition 33 would allow cities and counties to limit rent prices for single-family homes and apartments built after 1995 by repealing a law called the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act.
The Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act was passed in 1995 and prevents cities and counties from enacting rent control on single-family homes and apartments built after 1995 and bans vacancy control– a type of rent control that prohibits tenants from raising the rent for a unit once the tenant moves out. Landlords use this state law to increase rent prices, price out tenants not protected by rent control, and inflate rent for a unit once the tenant moves out.
If passed, Prop. 33 would (1) repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, allowing cities and counties to limit rent on single-family homes and apartments built after 1995, limit what a landlord can charge when a new tenant moves in, and (2) add language to California’s Civil Code that prohibits the state from limiting “the right of any city, county, or city and county to maintain, enact or expand residential rent control.”
Supporters
Support for Prop. 33 is led by Justice for Renters, a coalition group sponsored by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is a Los Angeles-based global non-profit healthcare organization that provides HIV/AIDS care around the world, in addition to providing healthcare resources, AHF advocates for healthcare access, housing, and low prescription drug costs.
The Justice for Renters campaign is endorsed by several organizations, including UNITE HERE Local 11, the California Democratic Party, the California Nurses Association, ACLU SoCal, the California Working Families Party, and more.
Opposition
Leading the opposition against Proposition 33 is Californians for Responsible Housing, a coalition group sponsored by the California Apartment Association. The California Apartment Association is a real estate lobbying group representing apartment building owners in California. CAA spends big money lobbying against an extensive list of bills, including legislation that would expand rent control, require landlords to be transparent about mandatory fees on rental advertisements, create a new Office of Tenants’ Rights and Protections, and restrict corporate home-buying, and countless other bills. In addition to lobbying in Sacramento, CAA also contributes to the campaigns of many state legislators with the goal of securing their votes on such bills during the legislative session.
Notable California Democrat legislators Toni Atkins (State Senate) and Buffy Wicks (State Assembly) have joined corporate landlords and real estate groups, by voicing their opposition to the ballot measure saying it would undermine efforts to create new housing by allowing wealthy cities to set high affordability standards.
Previous Rent Control Initiatives
This is the AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s third attempt to pass a rent control initiative that targets the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act. The first attempt was in 2018 with California Proposition 10, a similar effort to repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, which failed after special interest groups spent $61 million to persuade voters to oppose the initiative at the ballot box.
AHF tried again in 2020 by co-filing California Proposition 21, which would have reformed the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act instead of repealing it. This measure was also defeated by real estate and corporate landlord groups that outraised and out-funded the supporting campaign by more than double.
Staying Engaged
Every year, special interest groups spend millions of dollars lobbying our elected officials to vote against bills that oppose their money-making agenda. They also pay big money to lead the narrative on community issues to buy your vote.
Big real estate groups care about one thing– profit– even if it’s at the expense of the everyday Californian families struggling to afford their rent. With the help of Courage Score, you can easily see how your legislator voted on key housing bills throughout their time in office and see which special interest groups have contributed to their campaign.
We cannot keep allowing greedy landlords to squeeze renters out of their homes and must call out our representatives when they fail to prioritize our communities over profit.
Our vote holds power, and corporations are already spending millions to win it over. This election, it’s our turn to reject corporations’ desperate attempt to win our vote through misleading and self-serving million-dollar campaigns.
As November 5th approaches, we must remember that accountability at the ballot box starts with staying informed and engaged year-round. Stand up to corporate landlords and big real estate with a “yes” vote on Proposition 33, a ballot measure that would expand the authority of local governments to enact rent control.
Sources: Legislative Analyst’s Office – California Housing Affordability Tracker (April 2024), Ballotpedia – California Proposition 33, PPIC – Californians and the Housing Crisis, LA Times – Renters dominate California — but they are struggling to survive, PPIC – California’s Renters, Legislative Analyst’s Office – Proposition 33, SomCam – Demystifying the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, LA Times – Californians once again reject bid to expand rent control in the state