10 CA Cities Fighting for Greater Tenant Protections

In 2016, renters in Mountain View led the city in adopting greater protections for tenants facing outrageous Silicon Valley rents. Here are 10 other cities in California following in their footsteps!
- Glendale
This Los Angeles suburb is home to a population of ⅔ renters, 59% of whom are overburdened (pay more than 30% of their income in rent). And while the city has a surplus of vacant luxury units, it falls short of target affordable housing units by about 20,000! Supporters gathered 4,000 signatures in support of rent control this year, nearly half the number needed to get the measure on the 2020 ballot.
2. South Bay LA: Inglewood/Long Beach
Residents of South Bay are not only fighting for greater protections for their majority renter population, but also to address issues of equity among its diverse population. In Inglewood, residents are fighting to protect tenants most vulnerable to sports arena-based land grabs using the social media tag #HomesBeforeArenas.

3. L A County (Unincorporated)
“Unincorprated” parts of LA County have been historically exempt from rent control measures. Now, two county supervisors are supporting an interim rent cap measure while experts study the effects of spiraling rents and recommend pathways to more permanent tenant protections.
4. National City/San Diego
Compared to other big cities in California, San Diego has never had any form of rent control! As if to make up for this fact, now tenants in the area are working overtime by introducing tenant protection measures in both SD and the adjacent suburb, National City.

5. Pasadena
Members of the Pasadena Tenants Union, a coalition of tenants and homeowners, are partnering with the Democratic Socialists of America to talk to their neighbors about how they can solve the local rent affordability crisis by voting Yes on the Affordable Housing Act (Prop 10) in November!

6. Pomona
An astonishing 60% of Pomona tenants are rent-burdened. Tenants in this community are hoping that local rent stabilization and just cause evictions will help ameliorate the crisis of displacement among long-term Pomona residents and homelessness.

7. Sacramento
The highly mobilized tenants of Sacramento can find advocating renters rights during public comments every single week City Council Meetings. Rent stabilization is just one component of their plan to “transform the rental experience into a fair and equitable process that reflects the values of our community and empowers all families to secure a safe, dignified and stable living condition.”
8. Santa Ana
Leading a so-called “people’s power campaign,” members of the Tenants Union Santa Ana and allies have been busily gathering signatures for a local rent stabilization measure. Despite outspoken opposition from a California Apartment Association spokesperson, the campaign insists that the proposed 5 percent rent cap is long overdue.

9. Santa Cruz
One of the most expensive places to live in the country, this beach town has experienced city-wide rent increases of a head-spinning 54% in the last 4 years. Measure M, called the Santa Cruz Rent Control and Tenant Protection Act will be on the ballot this November 6 and boasts support from tenants and homeowners alike.

10. Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa tenants’ “Right to a Roof” campaign in 2016 won this community the most significant tenant protections in California to be passed in 30 years — the right to expect landlords to have a valid reason to evict tenants and caps on rent increases of 3% per year. And, if you take their word for it, it was won through people power!

Learn more at: http://www.tenantstogether.org/campaigns/rent-control-all.
And November 6, remember to vote #Yeson10 for tenant protections that all Californians deserve.