Affordable Housing Act Yes or No?

Yes on Proposition 10 does not impose rent control throughout California; it merely allows city and county governments to pass expanded rent control ordinances of their own if they so choose. It effectively repeals a law passed by the Legislature at the behest of the rental housing industry in 1995: The Costa Hawkins Rental Housing Act that has severely hamstrung California cities in what kind of rent control laws they could pass.  For example, single-family homes were barred from any rent-control protections anywhere in the state. So too were all apartment buildings constructed after 1995. And lastly, the Costa-Hawkins measure allowed landlords unrestricted rent increases once a tenant moved out. If Prop. 10 passes, these exemptions will be gone, allowing local governments broader discretion in what kind of rent controls they seek to impose. Nothing in Prop. 10, however, repeals the court-recognized right of landlords to make “a fair rate of return” on their investments. This opinion by the Santa Barbara Independent

Although the Santa Barbara Board of Realtor’s position is to vote NO on Proposition 10 there appear to be no solutions offered to the rental problem in Santa Barbara, and California, by the naysayers. In a community where there’s a large number of rental properties the rental market is a disaster in Santa Barbara if you’re looking to rent. There’s a large niche rental industry in southern Santa Barbara that obviously has factored in their own self-interest into this equation. So what’s the answer? Maintain the status quo? Look for solutions. Personally, although there are flaws to Proposition 10, it may be time for a change as I’m sure most tenants here in Santa Barbara will agree.

California Voters Guide Proposition 10