Todd Gloria joins 22 other California mayors in rejecting rent control proposal

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and 22 other California mayors on Thursday declared their opposition to Bill 33, calling it an anti-housing initiative.

This November, voters will be asked to repeal the Costa-Hawkins Act, which prevents cities from imposing rent controls on single-family homes or apartments built after 1995. It also allows landlords to set their own rent prices when new tenants move in.

If Proposition 33 passes, cities and counties would be able to control rents for any type of housing and would be given the ability to limit how much a landlord can raise the rent when a new tenant moves in. The initiative would also add a clause to California’s civil code prohibiting the state from taking future actions to restrict local rent control.

The mayors expressed concern that Proposition 33 could undermine the state’s housing laws and make it harder for California to create new affordable housing.

“In San Diego, our housing efforts are beginning to show results. Housing supply is increasing and rents are falling. This measure would undermine our efforts, bring housing construction to a halt and undo the progress we have worked so hard for,” said
Glory.

This is not the first time the state’s voters have been asked to allow rent control. Both Proposition 21 in 2020 and Proposition 10 in 2018 were rejected by nearly 60% of voters.

Opponents of the latest ballot measure are also concerned about a change in language that could undermine the state’s strictest rent stability law. That law, known as the Tenant Protection Act of 2019, sets statewide rent caps and enforces eviction protections for tenants for just cause.

State Democratic leaders, including Senator Toni Atkins and Representative Buffy Wicks, have also expressed concerns about Proposition 33, pointing out that the proposal could allow wealthy cities to forgo building affordable housing.

“This initiative is a huge loophole that absolves a select few local governments of responsibility for affordable housing and opens the door to undoing every inch of progress we’ve made in housing over the last 20 years. All I can say is, don’t be fooled,” Atkins said.

Mayors joining Gloria in opposition include Keith Blackburn in Carlsbad, John McCann in Chula Vista, Rebecca Jones in San Marcos and John Franklin in Vista.