Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Ballot initiative filed to repeal Costa-Hawkins, California’s rent control limitation law


A statewide ballot initiative was filed today to repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, landmark legislation that’s protected California from extreme forms of rent control.  Because Costa-Hawkins has prohibited rent control on new construction after 1995, it has  encouraged private investment into new rental housing for more than 20 years.
 
Proponents of the initiative include Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation; the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, also known as ACCE and one of the primary tenant organizations in California; and the Eviction Defense Network.
 
Under the Costa-Hawkins Act, apartments built after 1995 are exempted from local rent control laws, as are single-family homes. Costa-Hawkins also allows a property owner to set the rent at the market rate once a tenant moves out and a new tenant moves in – known as vacancy decontrol.
 
According to Tom Bannon, CEO for the California Apartment Association, “If new construction and single-family homes are not protected from rent control  and the ability for owners to raise rents to market when a tenant vacates a unit is not protected against rent control, private investment into rental housing will come to a screeching halt.  Without a degree of certainty, small landlords, pension funds, and other investors will not have an incentive to maintain or improve the current rental housing stock.  Without an adequate supply of homes for their employees,  businesses will look to other states that are more favorable to housing construction. California’s efforts to attract employers will ring hollow.  California already has a housing shortage, and repealing the Costa-Hawkins Act would make matters considerably worse.  No new construction would mean there would be no place for our grown children and grandchildren to live.”
 
CAA, which opposes all forms of rent control, is preparing to defeat the initiative should it ultimately qualify.
 
At this point, the Legislative Analyst’s Office will perform an analysis of the measure, and the state attorney general’s office will prepare a title and summary. This process could take up to 60 days. Once it is complete,  proponents can begin circulating the petition to qualify the initiative for the November 2018 ballot. 
 
The measure will need approximately 600,000 signatures to secure the 366,000 valid signatures necessary to qualify. The last day to qualify a measure for the November 2018 statewide ballot is June 28, 2017. 
 
The push to put a Costa-Hawkins repeal before voters follows a similar effort that stalled in the state Legislature this year.
 
In early 2017, Assemblyman Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica, authored AB 1506, which sought to repeal Costa-Hawkins. While the bill was put on hold amid opposition from CAA, the assemblyman can request a hearing on the bill again in 2018.


Submitted by Jim Wagner

9 comments:

Patty Pants on Fire said...

Proponents of C, "oh, homes won't ever be under rent control and nothing built after '95 is affected."
And they're calling Realtors liars. Good one.

Anonymous said...

The proponents of C are freaks. Don't let them do any more harm to Pacifica than they already have. Same old gang: Loeb, Verby, Hall, Lancelle, Digre + Deirdre, Keener and more, up to their usual shit. If we let these losers win then we are no better than they are.
VOTE VOTE VOTE Kick the commies, socialists and welfare parasites out of our town.

Anonymous said...

Pacifica's own SF rent control attorney was out there holding a Fair Rents sign on Highway 1 yesterday.

Anonymous said...

The chances of California voting to repeal CH is close to nil. They probably won't even get it on the ballot.

Anonymous said...

Property values down, increased regulation on private ownership, no say so as to who can be in your rental property, legal fees upon legal fees, uncertainty of valuations, and certainty of increased law suits, yes this an so much more are yours by the passage of Measure C-- Vote No on C to retain your rights under the constitution....don't let your hard earned investments float down the river of no return. VOTE NO ON C!

Anonymous said...

@6:02 - That's what they said about term limits for Pacifica city council.

Steve Sinai said...

No way Trump was going to win, either.

Anonymous said...

No way The Dodgers and Astros, would end up in the World Series, either.

Anonymous said...

Anyone know what is happening with Harmony @ One in Pacifica?
I don't see any new homes being built. And I see two properties still listed on MLS.
Any updates?