Big shoutout to everyone who called in to support #SB466, State Senator Aisha Wahab's bill to reform Costa-Hawkins. The latest plan would allow cities to phase in rent control on apartments that are 28 years or older.

When housing shortages led to big rent increases in the 1970s, many cities passed rent control to limit increases. However, in the 1990s, state law Costa-Hawkins banned cities from rent controlling newer buildings. These "newer buildings" are now 40+ years old.

SB466 Costa-Hawkins reform has a broad support, including Democratic clubs, the California Democratic Renters Council, several cities, YIMBY Action, Tenants Together, East Bay for Everyone, the California Labor Federation the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, & Livable California.
Opposing it are landlords & Realtors.

Rent controlling older buildings with a rolling phase-in is a win-win. By making it less profitable to speculate on existing housing, it protects tenants & redirects investment, materials, & labor towards building new housing.

A look at this year's California tenant protection bills - these include bills to limit rent increases, address habitability, provide subsidies, and limit evictions.

While some cities have local laws limiting rent increases, it wasn't until 2019 when California passed a statewide law - AB1482. That law limited increases to inflation+5% or 10% a year, whichever was less. Still adds up fast. #SB567 from Senator Durazo would lower the cap.

Existing CA law bans cities from limiting rents on anything built after 1995, or the cutoff date they had when it was passed. This keeps most big cities from rent controlling anything from the 1980s onward. #SB466 from Aisha Wahab would change it to a 15-year rolling cutoff. She is one of the few tenants in the 120-person State Legislature - great example of why representation matters.

#CALeg