Hundreds of Californians rallied at the State Capitol Monday hoping to repeal a law that limits rent control.
Kids, teenagers and adults marched through the streets of Downtown Sacramento while chanting, “Costa Hawkins has got to go.”
The Costa Hawkins Rental Act was passed in 1995. Under the current law, landlords can raise the price of a unit to market rate whenever a tenant moves out. This means that the only properties subject to rent control are those that were built before 1995.
“So, if you're a tenant that is living in a house or living in a multi-unit building that was built after 1995, you're not covered under rent control,” Melvin Willis explained.
Willis is the vice-mayor of Richmond and an organizer with the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment.
The organization spearheaded the effort to collect 588,542 signatures to get the initiative to repeal Costa Hawkins on the November ballot.
“This is a piece of the puzzle in solving the housing crisis,” Willis said.
Before arriving at the capitol, demonstrators made their voice heard inside the California Association of Realtors building.
“We walked in that building so they can hear what we want and what we're demanding,” said Mateo Rebecchi, an affordable housing advocate from Humboldt County.
The California Apartment Association told ABC10 that the measure would allow cities to roll back protections for the most vulnerable Californians.
“This ballot measure will pour gasoline on the fire of California’s affordable housing crisis. It will do exactly the opposite of what it promises – instead of helping Californians, it will result in an affordable housing freeze and higher costs," said Tom Bannon, CEO of the CAA.
Demonstrators said the ballot initiative is also a push to implement rent control policies in the entire state. Right now, only about 15 cities have some form of rent control.
"We do want to see landlords making money, but at a fair and reasonable rate," Rebecchi said.
Rebecchi says the law in place is forcing many families out of their neighborhoods, as rent continues to skyrocket.
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