News and Views

Is rent control the only realistic hope for Southern California tenants?  OCRegisterIs rent control the only realistic fix for nearly half of Southern Californians who don't own a home? I know rent control is not perfect. In fact, it's got plenty of ...
LA Renters Fight Rent Hikes in Court to Avoid Life on the Streets  Courthouse News ServiceLOS ANGELES (CN) – Nearly a third of Los Angeles renters spend over half their income on rent. It's a startling figure that housing advocates say is directly ...
Pasadena’s expanded tenant protections not enough, advocates say  The Pasadena Star-NewsExpanded protections for Pasadena renters will kick in next month after the City Council voted to plug holes in the city's existing rules last week. But advocates ...
Why are so many leftist plans going under in California?  Patch.comBy Ben Christopher and Laurel Rosenhall, CALmatters. An unprecedented haul of tax dollars generated by a roaring economy. A governor who campaigned on ...
City's 'Talk on the Block' concludes  Atascadero NewsATASCADERO - By the third outing in their tour of Atascadero North, South, East and West, City Manager Rachelle Rickard had the original 15-minute staff ...
Lack Of Rent Control Blamed For LA Homeless Crisis  Patch.comLack Of Rent Control Blamed For LA Homeless Crisis - Highland Park-Mount Washington, CA - A report titled "Pushed Out, Priced Out, Locked Out," cites a lack ...
Alameda’s new ban on ‘no-cause’ evictions praised  The Mercury NewsALAMEDA — Alameda renters now have an extra safeguard to help them stay in their homes after the City Council voted that landlords cannot evict tenants ...
Survey Shows Housing Costs Cause Financial Strain on San Diegans  NBC 7 San DiegoMore than half of adults polled by the Public Policy Institute of California last month said housing costs cause financial strain, especially for those living in San ...
Oakland 'Closes the Loophole' on Tenant Inequality  SF Bay Area Indymedia At a late-night session, on Tuesday June 4, 2019, the Oakland City Council by a unanimous 6-0 vote (1 excused; 1 recused), adopted an ordinance to “Eliminate ...
  • Rent control
June 4, 2019
On Wednesday, May 29, 2019, Senate Bill 529 (María Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles), which aimed to prevent landlord retaliation against tenants who form tenant associations, failed to pass the California Senate by one vote. The measure, sponsored by Tenants Together, required 21 votes to pass the Senate.  
  • Tenant organizing
  • Legislative victories/defeats
On Tuesday, April 23, 2019, the State Senate Judiciary Committee in a 6-2 vote approved Senate Bill 529 (Durazo). The bill would prevent retaliatory evictions of tenants participating in a tenant association or rent strike. SB 529 will now head to the State Senate Appropriations Committee. The hearing date has yet to be determined.  
  • Retaliation/harassment
  • Tenant organizing
  • Legislative victories/defeats
Today, Tenants Together, California’s statewide organization for renters’ rights, announced its sponsorship of Senate Bill 529, which aims to protect California tenants from retaliation by their landlord for organizing collectively. The bill would prevent evictions of tenants participating in a tenant association or rent strike.
  • Retaliation/harassment
  • Tenant organizing
In 2011, Tenants Together organized a network of tenants’ rights lawyers from across California. Today, the Tenant Lawyer Network (TLN) consists of over 150 attorneys statewide, who pledge to represent tenants, not landlords, in residential housing matters. Last week, over 70 tenant attorneys gathered in Berkeley for the seventh annual TLN Conference, hosted by Tenants Together.  
A Huntsville lawyer has filed her first government shutdown-related eviction. With federal workers missing their second pay check Friday and February rent coming due soon, she fears more are coming. Attorney Sarah Taggart represents landlords statewide in residential and commercial evictions. “I’ve never experienced anything like this. I’ve done eviction work primarily for the last decade and you see people who have lost their job, that happens that’s just a natural part of the American economy but this kind of wholesale, it's unprecedented," says Taggart.
  • Beyond California
  • Eviction
January 25, 2019
At Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request, California filed a lawsuit Friday against the city of Huntington Beach over what state officials describe as the city’s failure to allow enough homebuilding to accommodate a growing population. Newsom said the suit is needed to address rising housing costs that threaten economic growth and deepen inequality. The lawsuit accuses Huntington Beach of defying a state law that requires cities and counties to set aside sufficient land for housing development.
  • Affordable housing
  • Orange
With new options on the table to solve the Bay Area’s housing shortage, local elected officials and employers need to pick their favorites and make them happen.
Omaha’s city prosecutor plans to file 100 criminal charges against the landlord of the Yale Park Apartments complex that was in such bad shape that 500 refugees were forced to evacuate four months ago. Mayor Jean Stothert announced Friday that landlord Kay Anderson will face 100 misdemeanors relating to violating city code and not fixing repairs at the apartments at 34th Avenue and Lake Street after squalid conditions were found.
  • Beyond California
  • Housing conditions/habitability
As the partial federal government shutdown stretches into its sixth week, low-income families, seniors and the disabled are facing housing instability and possible evictions. Last month, Congress failed to provide funding for key federal agencies, including the departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and of Agriculture, which provide housing assistance to low-income families. The shutdown is affecting not just unpaid federal workers, but also 4.7 million families living in federally subsidized housing, housing advocates say.
  • Affordable housing
January 24, 2019
Investors are eyeing a new build-to-rent strategy amid increased competition that’s arisen from a tight supply of older housing inventory in many markets, the National Real Estate Investor reports. They want to invest in markets such as Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; Phoenix; and Texas, where building and land costs are lower, and where there is more entry-level home building, the report said.

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