GRASSROOTS AAPI POLICY AGENDA
Alongside our powerful network of grassroots Asian American and Pacific Islander organizations, we have identified the following legislative priorities that serve working-class AAPI communities.
AB 1157 (Kalra): The Affordable Rent Act
As our communities face the ongoing housing and affordability crisis, AB 1157 limits how much landlords can raise the rent. AB 1157 would
caps annual rent increases at CPI (Consumer Price Index) plus 2%, up to 5%,
extend rent caps to single family homes, and
make the policy permanent.
Currently, landlords are allowed to raise the rent significantly higher than inflation, setting the limit at CPI + 5%, up to a maximum of 10%--meaning that renters could see their rent double in ten years. As California faces skyrocketing rents and a homelessness crisis, AB 1157 helps keep families housed. Reducing rent increases would directly support struggling tenants, many of whom are already living paycheck to paycheck. In addition, limiting rent hikes is a powerful step toward stabilizing communities and preventing more families from falling into homelessness.
How has the housing crisis impacted you?
How has the housing crisis impacted you? Please use this form to share your experiences with the housing crisis and how it has impacted you, both directly and indirectly. Together, our stories will help illustrate the importance of housing justice.
AB 868 (Carrillo): Ensuring Higher Voter Turnout in County Elections
As our democracy is under attack, we must ensure that our communities can have more voice in our local elections. AB 868 would guarantee that county elections are decided in higher-turnout general elections. By requiring that all contested county offices appear on the general election ballot, AB 868 allows a larger and more diverse electorate to have a voice in the final outcome of county elections. Additionally, if only two candidates file for a county office, the primary election is skipped, streamlining the process and eliminating unnecessary elections.
County officials make decisions over vital functions of our community, from sanctuary city enforcement to protecting clean water access. Immigrants, refugees, voters of color, and young voters are often left out of our democracy, but we have the most at stake. AB 868 is a step toward greater inclusion and voice in our county elections.
SB 578: Renew and Expand CA Worker Outreach Program Funding
Championed by Pilipino Workers Center.
Immigrant and refugee workers in the low-wage and service sector often face abuse and workplace violations. Our community organizations and workers centers provide vital support and resources for our workers. Through the CA Worker Outreach Program (CWOP), state labor agencies and community organizations partner to share information on workplace rights with immigrant workers, workers of color, and women workers in high-risk industries across 46 languages. Funding for CWOP under threat; the program is an effective part of our workplace fairness infrastructure and we cannot afford to lose it. SB 578 will:
write CWOP into our Labor Code, marking it as an ongoing commitment to ensure that every working Californian can understand and assert their rights at work, and
expand the scope to educate workers on civil rights and income supports for paid leave, disability, and unemployment.
AB 1242 (Nguyen): Language Access for California Health and Human Services Programs
Championed by OCAPICA.
Over 70% of Asian Americans in California speak a language other than English, and over 30% speak English less than “very well.” Language access is crucial to our communities’ ability to thrive and participate in our communities. It must be a protected right. As our efforts to ensure language access has faced attacks from the Trump Administration, AB 1242 would preserve our state’s language access services by allocating funding to continue language access services and interpretation for California Health and Human Services programs.
AB 1248 (Haney, co-sponsored by AG Bonta): End Unfair Junk Fees on Renters
Landlords have been charging tenants unfair and arbitrary fees, often to get around the cap on rent increases. This exploitative practice makes it nearly impossible for tenants to budget for housing expenses, when many families are already struggling. This bill would provide relief to renters by:
Requiring landlords to include all tenant costs in rent, rather than separate fees,
Preventing landlords from adding new fees during a tenancy,
Requiring landlords to apply a tenants rent payment to their rent first, protecting tenants from incurring more debt
SB 52 (Pérez): Stop AI Rent Hikes
Landlords have turned to new mechanisms to hike up rents and vacancy rates across the country, leading to higher rent increases and more evictions. Cities have been taking the lead to ban landlords’ use of AI platforms like RealPage to protect tenants. SB 52 would implement a statewide ban to keep landlords from using AI platforms to set rents or occupancy levels for rental units.
SB 266 (Cervantes): Language Access for Elections Materials
Our democracy should be accessible in the languages that are spoken by the electorate. SB 266 would reduce language barriers for underserved language communities in California, by lowering the percentage threshold of primary language speakers for which counties must produce in-language ballots.
SB 436 (Wahab): Eviction Prevention Act
Even when tenants are able to recover funds for overdue rent, landlords still move forward with evictions. SB 436 would require eviction courts to allow tenants to stay in their homes if the tenant pays the amount of rent owed or provides documentation of rental assistance funds that would cover the amount of rent owed. This policy is common in other states.