Here's Why to Vote No on Proposition 33

SM Observer Staff

Surveyors usually indicate new construction on the way, but will it be affordable for the average Joe?

LEGISLATIVE ALERT: MULTI-FAMILY, SINGLE FAMILY AND CONDOMINIUM HOUSING

There is one statewide proposition on the California November 2024 ballot that I am very concerned about. It is Proposition 33, which enables extremely restrictive rent controls on a state-wide basis. These Proposition 33 proposed rent controls, including homes, condominiums, as well as multifamily complexes, could turn California into a nightmare scenario like NYC after WWII or Santa Monica or West Hollywood for the period of 1978-1995. Proposition 33 would restrict your right to rent your home or condominium, as well as freeze the rents on apartments to the prior level when they vacate.

VOTE "NO" ON PROPOSITON 33... Why vote, "No"? Proposition 33 repeals key-sections of the current California law, the Costa Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995. Since passage of Costa Hawkins Rental Housing Act, each California city or county could choose to enact, if so desired, controls on apartment rents for "occupied" apartments, but never set controls on rental apartments when they vacate. This state law was thoroughly vetted and turned out to be a good thing, as once a family moved into an apartment, they could, under various local controls, not be pushed out with exorbitant rental increases. This current statewide Costa Hawkins law protects "tenants in place" from dislocation and rent gouging. Costa Hawkins controls, still in effect, also protects landlords, big and small, by allowing landlords rental increases on vacated apartments. These rental increases on vacated apartments, essentially "market determined rents" for the new tenant, provide an opportunity for the landlord to recoup expenses from remodeling the vacancies or the building overall and keeps the landlords whole with increases they might have missed when the apartments were occupied and under "tenant in place" protections.

The Costa Hawkins bill is a grand success for all income classes-- rich and poor and middle class--as well as corporate or "mom and pop" landlords. Costa Hawkins also protects single family and condominium landlords by never regulating the rental levels on your homes/condos. Costa Hawkins is not broken; it should not be repealed by Proposition 33.

For those of you who know me personally, you recognize that I am a liberal and progressive person in both deed and by profession. As a liberal and as a professional person deeply enmeshed in affordable housing, I advise you to vote against Proposition 33, it is a nightmare. If you are concerned about the homeless population, this is not the answer. The homeless population must be addressed on a federal level with a refunding of HUD's Housing Voucher system, which is income-based and worked well until its underfunding.

Proposition 33 is a huge mistake, vote against it.

TurnKey Holdings, Joseph M. Ebin, Chairman, M.A.-- Urban Planning

P.S. from Ballotpedia ..." Two committees, Californians for Responsible Housing and Californians to Protect Affordable Housing, are registered in opposition to the initiative (Proposition 33)..... Mike Nemeth, Director for the California Apartment Association said, "By repealing Costa-Hawkins, Weinstein's so-called 'Justice for Renters Act' not only would empower cities and counties to impose strict rent control on all apartments and single-family homes, but it would abolish the state's existing ban on vacancy control. Vacancy control prohibits rental housing providers from adjusting rents to market rates when a tenant moves out. Such a policy leads to property deterioration and stifled investment in housing."