Rent Control Advocates File for New California Statewide Ballot Measure for 2020

Press telecon: Mon., April 22, 9:00 am PT

AHF’s Housing Is A Human Right filed papers with California Attorney General’s office for Title and Summary for the ‘Rental Affordability Act,’ which will allow rent control on buildings over 15 years old and allow for certain other vacancy controls. The measure will exempt owners of two or fewer homes.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Housing justice and rent control advocates affiliated with Housing Is A Human Right (HHR) will host a PRESS TELECONFERENCE Monday, April 22^nd, at 9:00 am PT to announce the launch of a California statewide ballot measure to be known as the ‘Rental Affordability Act.’ HHR is the housing advocacy division of AIDS Healthcare Foundation

Last Friday, advocates from Housing Is A Human Right filed papers with the California Attorney General’s office for a Title and Summary for the Measure, the first step in the citizen initiative ballot measure process. Advocates intend to qualify the measure for the November 2020 presidential election ballot. AHF’s Housing Is A Human Right (HHR) is providing financial support for the ballot measure.

WHAT:	PRESS TELECONFERENCE
	Advocates file papers to launch 2020 California ‘Rental Affordability Act,’ ballot measure to permit rent control
WHEN:	MONDAY, April 22^nd, 2019—9:00 AM Pacific Time
	Teleconference Dial in information: [phone], participant code #7134323
WHO:	Michael Weinstein, Ballot Measure Proponent & President of AHF
	René Moya, Ballot Measure Proponent & Director, Housing Is A Human Right (HHR)
	Cynthia Davis, MPH, Ballot Measure Proponent & Assistant Professor and Program Director, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and Co-chair of AHF’s Board of Directors
MEDIA CONTACTS:	Ged Kenslea, AHF Dir. of Communications, 323-791-5526 cell, [e-mail]
	René Moya, Housing Is A Human Right, 323-620-7835 cell, [e-mail]

Proponents of the ‘Rental Affordability Act’ ballot measure say the purposes and intent of the initiative are:

• To allow California’s cities and counties to develop and implement rent control policies that ensure renters can find and afford rental housing in their jurisdictions.
• To allow a city, county or city and county to exercise any local law controlling the rental rates for residential property, provided that it has been at least 15 years since the property received its certificate of occupancy.
• To allow local laws to control rental rates following a vacancy while permitting a landlord to increase the rental rates on a vacated unit by no more than 15% over the subsequent three years in addition to any other increase allowed under a local ordinance.
• To exempt the owner of one or two residential dwellings from any rent control law.

About

Housing Is A Human Right, based in Los Angeles, is the housing advocacy division of AIDS Healthcare Foundation—the world’s largest HIV/AIDS medical-care organization, serving more than one million people in 43 countries. Throughout the U.S., AHF patients have been negatively impacted by rising housing costs and gentrification, which threaten their health. HHR advocates for stronger tenants protections, fights gentrification, and advances progressive housing policies.