Pro Bono News

California's Rental Affordability Act Heading to November Ballot (CA)

Monday, February 03, 2020

California's Rental Affordability Act Heading to November Ballot

"On Monday, February 3, 2020, a coalition of California renters, tenant advocates, elected officials and social justice organizations will host a trio of ballot qualification parties and press conferences in Los Angeles, Oakland and San Diego to announce and celebrate certification of voter signatures in support of a proposed ballot initiative that will allow for expansion of rent control in California.

Internationally renowned conceptual artist Barbara Kruger distilled the essence of the housing crisis in the US in a new word text mural: "Who is Housed When Money Talks?" created pro bono for the advocacy group Housing Is A Human Right and the Rental Affordability Act. The mural is on Sunset Blvd. in a rapidly gentrifying section of Hollywood, California. (Photo: Business Wire)

Secretary of State Alex Padilla’s office is expected to announce Monday via email that enough voter signatures were verified by random sample to advance the measure for ultimate placement on the November 2020 ballot. On December 5th, advocates submitted nearly one million voter signatures, far more than the number needed, to qualify the Rental Affordability Act.

Housing Is A Human Right (HHR), the housing advocacy division of AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), and the leading sponsor of the RAA, is also very excited to announce the endorsement of the Rental Affordability Act by a suite of California’s most well regarded tenant advocacy and social justice organizations, including the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), the Eviction Defense Network (EDN) and the Democratic Socialists of America, Los Angeles (DSA-LA).

When passed, the Rental Affordability Act will remove current restrictions in state law, giving cities and counties the power to implement and expand rent control policies that limit how much rents can increase each year. It would allow local communities to:

  • Expand rent control to more buildings while exempting newly constructed buildings.
  • Exempt Single-Family homeowners who own up to two homes.
  • Allow limits on rent increases when a new renter moves in..."

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