Ballot Breakdown: Yes on Prop 33 – Empowering Local Communities to Tackle California’s Housing Crisis
Prop 33 is a critical opportunity to address the housing affordability crisis in our state. The Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act has prevented local governments from implementing effective rent control measures on single-family homes and newer rental properties. Since 1995, the outdated law has left many renters at the mercy of unpredictable and often unaffordable rent hikes.
Our Stance: Vote YES
AAPI FORCE and our Steering Committee endorse a “YES” position on Proposition 33, a pivotal measure aiming to repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act and grant local governments more power to implement more effective rent control measures. This reform is essential to addressing California’s housing crisis.
What would Prop 33 do? [1]
At its core, Proposition 33 seeks to dismantle the restrictions imposed by the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995. This outdated law has long tied the hands of local governments, preventing them from implementing effective rent control measures on single-family homes and newer rental properties. Prop 33 changes all that by:
Ending Costa-Hawkins Restrictions: Local governments would gain the authority to impose rent control measures on all properties, including those built after 1995, offering relief from skyrocketing rents.
Empowering Local Authorities: Cities and counties can develop and enforce their own rent control policies, allowing for tailored solutions to meet specific community needs, ensuring more effective solutions for diverse communities.
State Limitations: This measure will enshrine in law that the state cannot interfere with local rent control efforts, giving communities freedom to pursue more progressive policies for more affordable housing.
How did we get here?
Housing is a human right and the fight for that right to be affirmed in California has been a decades-long struggle. Costa-Hawkins emerged as the backlash to powerful tenant organizing across the nation in the 1960s and 70s, with activists seeking to address high rents, poor housing conditions, and displacement that had grown rampant in their communities [2].
In the 1970s, as housing costs continued to skyrocket amid inflation, stagnant wages, and high unemployment, rent control initiatives began to emerge. In the face of a growing tenant movement, the real estate industry launched a calculated assault on local rent control efforts, successfully protecting their corporate interests and diminishing tenant protections with the passage of the Costa-Hawkins Act in 1995, overriding grassroots efforts for more affordable housing [2].
In recent years, legislation like AB 1482 (Chiu) and SB 547 (Blakespear) , both of which AAPI FORCE and our allies supported, have established and expanded rent caps. However, these measures are not enough, with many families and communities struggling to make ends meet.
This is why Prop 33 is a critical opportunity to address the housing affordability crisis in our state. For years, the Costa-Hawkins Act has been a significant obstacle, leaving many renters at the mercy of unpredictable and often unaffordable rent hikes from predatory landlords and corporations. These same real estate interests, like the California Business Roundtable and the California Apartment Association, are pouring millions of dollars into defeating Prop 33, stopping at nothing to protect their profit margins at the expense of people's right to safe and affordable housing [3]. Prop 33 offers a vital lifeline, particularly for low- and middle- income tenants–many of whom are people of color [4].
By removing restrictions, Prop 33 will enable local governments to implement effective rent control measures, helping to stabilize housing costs, alleviate the disproportionate burden on marginalized communities, and lessen the profit motive for rental housing. Its flexibility allows policies to be adapted to fit the unique needs of each community, offering crucial relief to those most affected by rising living costs.
Why would Prop 33 be an important win for our communities?
Prop 33 would be a gamechanger in the decades-long battle for housing justice. Without the restrictions imposed by Costa-Hawkins, local authorities have the option to implement rent control measures that would provide relief to the most vulnerable families, slow displacement, and help prevent homelessness. Voting Yes on Prop 33 is a crucial step towards a fairer, more stable future for everyone!