Mayor Eric Garcetti to Join Housing Advocates, Labor Leaders, and Community Organizations at L.A. Press Conference to Support Repeal of Costa-Hawkins

L.A. PRESS CONFERENCE: Monday, April 23, 10:00 a.m.

Advocates to announce submission of a total of over 565,000 voter signatures to County Registrars in all 58 California counties in support of ballot initiative to repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act.

Press Conferences also to be held at Oakland City Hall and the State Capitol in Sacramento

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Monday, April 23, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Councilmember Mike Bonin (D-11^th District) will join housing advocates, labor leaders, community activists, and fellow elected officials in a press conference outside Los Angeles City Hall (Spring Street Plaza facing Grand Park) in support of the Affordable Housing Act, which would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995. The advocates will announce the submission of over 565,000 voter signatures throughout the 58 counties in California to place the Affordable Housing Act on the statewide November ballot.

The Affordable Housing Act will close the loophole in rent control created by the Costa-Hawkins Act, which prohibits California communities from setting reasonable and fair limits on rent increases and protecting tenants through rent control on single family homes, condos, and buildings built after 1995, or the year rent control was established within a city – 1978 in the case of Los Angeles. (Costa-Hawkins explained)

The Los Angeles event details are:

10:00 a.m.
Los Angeles City Hall (Outside on the Spring Street Plaza facing Grand Park)
200 N Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
Hon. Eric Garcetti, Mayor, City of Los Angeles
Hon. Mike Bonin, Councilmember, 11^th District, City of Los Angeles
Other speakers TBD

*Spokespeople available to outlets before and at event. Spanish-speakers also available.

The Los Angeles press conference is a part of two other actions taking place at the State Capitol in Sacramento and Oakland City Hall also on Monday. Hundreds of renters, landlords, housing advocates, labor leaders, clergy, community activists, and others displaced by California’s housing affordability crisis will take part in all three of the rallies.

Sacramento

• 11:00 a.m.
  Renters Leave Westminster Church to March to Capitol Grounds
  1300 N St., Sacramento, CA 95814
  (Photo opportunity: renters marching along capitol mall with signs and banners)

• Noon Rally at State Capitol (North Steps)
  1315 10th St., B-27
  Sacramento, CA 95814

Oakland

• Noon (12 p.m.)
  Oakland City Hall
  1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza
  Oakland, CA 94612 (Inside the Rotunda steps)

The rent is too damn high! While evictions are creating a crisis in California, thousands of people are being forced out of their homes and the neighborhoods they grew up in, commuting hours to and from work, or literally living on the streets. Hard-working people can't afford a decent place to live. California can do better, and we need immediate change to stop this wave of displacement to keep people in their homes.

Repealing the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act will give local communities a critical tool to tackle the state’s housing crisis by allowing them to implement more robust rent control if they feel it is the right method for handling their residents’ needs.

The Affordable Housing Act is sponsored by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE Action), and the Eviction Defense Network.

Learn more at http://www.affordablehousingact.org/.