The purpose of the Renters Council is to act as a driving force in the development of a tenants’ rights and protections agenda within the California Democratic Party for the benefit of the 18 million Californian renters. 

The Council shall promote policy and legislation consistent with our principles and support those Democratic Party office holders and officials proposing and carrying out such policies.

January 15, 2024 Newsletter

Meet Yesenia Miranda Meza, our new Southern Vice Chair

Yesenia has been appointed to the board to fill the vacant Southern Vice Chair position. She co-founded the tenants rights group Pomona United for Stable Housing and has been organizing in her community for years. You can learn more about her here.


New Research Shows what Tenants have always known: High Rents & Evictions are Bad for Health

Research funded by the National Institute of Health have found that both high rent burdens and evictions led to significant increases to the death rate at all ages. A 10 percent increase in the rent burden (for example, someone going from paying 30 percent of income in rent to 40 percent of income) causes an 8% increase in the death rate, and evictions caused a 40% increase in the death rate.


https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2024/01/10/high-rent-bad-health-short-lifespan/71891093007/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953623007554?via%3Dihub#sec2


Jennifer Esteen Campaign Events

Jennifer is our endorsed candidate for Alameda County Supervisor District 4.  As there are only 2 people running, this election will be decided in March - there is no runoff in November.

There are several events you can sign up for right now, including in-person canvasses and online phonebanks, at https://www.jenniferesteen.com/volunteer 

2024 Endorsements

State Assembly

AD6 - Evan Minton

AD24 - Alex Lee

AD41 - Phlunté Riddle

AD44 - Nick Schultz

AD52 - No Consensus

AD57 - Sade Elhawary


State Senate

SD7 - Jovanka Beckles

SD9 - Marisol Rubio

SD25 - Sasha Renée Pérez

SD29 - Eloise Gómez Reyes

SD35 - No Consensus


County Supervisors

Alameda County D4 - Jennifer Esteen

Kern County D4 -  Veronica Vasquez, MSW

LA County D5 - Konstantine Anthony

Monterey County D5 - No Consensus

Sacramento County D4 - Braden Murphy

Santa Clara County D5 - Sally J. Lieber

Solano County D1 - Cassandra James


City Councils

LA City Council D2 - No Consensus

LA City Council D14 - Ysabel Jurado

Pasadena City Council D3 - Brandon Lamar

Sacramento City Council D4 - Katie Valenzuela

San Diego City Council D3 - Coleen Cusack

Santa Cruz City Council D5 - Joe Thompson


Recording of our November 12 meeting is now available!

https://youtu.be/DffybqXg24Q


2:14 Justice for Renters ballot measure

9:58 Treasurer's Report

11:35 Secretary's Report


14:35 NorCal Report

- 15:00 Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA)

- 18:47 Alameda County Tenant Protection Legislation

- 23:22 Jennifer Esteen (Alameda County Supervisor D4 candidate)

- 28:38 Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) Part 2

- 34:36 Emeryville Affordable Housing Update

- 40:27 Fairfax Rent Stabilization Update

- 48:02 Cassandra James (Solano County Supervisor candidate)

- 51:14 Jackie Elward (Senate District 3 candidate)

- 55:50 Marisol Rubio (Senate District 9 candidate)

- 59:06 Jovanka Beckles (Senate District 7 candidate)

- 1:04:40 Protecting Solar for Renters

- 1:06:23 Sacramento Update


1:07:54 Central Report

- 1:10:24 Veronica Vazquez (Kern County Supervisor candidate)

- 1:17:57 Delano Rent Stabilization ballot measure

- 1:18:49 Central Coast Updates


1:26:54 SoCal Report - Rent stabilization, Measure ULA

- 1:30:25 Barrington Plaza evictions & Ellis Act Renovictions

- 1:33:33 Don't Sign the Patient Protection Act

- 1:35:34 Nick Schultz (Assembly District 44 candidate)


Announcements

- 1:37:54 Children's Caucus update on school board elections

- 1:42:29 Rose Penelope Yee for Congress (CA-1)

- 1:43:20 Rally to Support State Scientists

- 1:45:45 Coleen Cusack for San Diego City Council District 3

- 1:46:16 Genesis Coronado for Assembly District 52

- 1:47:35 Legislation Update 

Ask your Congressmember & Central Committees to support the End Hedge Fund Control of American Homes Act, S.3402 and H.R.6608


The End Hedge Fund Control of American Homes Act seeks to put an end to the harmful practice of Wall Street hedge funds buying up single-family homes.  Single family homes lack the tenant protections often available to apartment residents, putting tenants at risk of high rent increases, habitability issues, and unjust evictions.


Details of the proposed law:

• Bans hedge funds from owning single-family homes and requires them to sell at least 10% of the total number of single-family homes they currently own to families per year over a 10-year period.

• Subjects hedge funds to a $50,000 per single family home per year tax penalty on the number of single-family homes owned above either zero or a scheduled 10% reduction per year over 10-years winding down to zero.

o After a 10-year full phase-out, all hedge funds will be completely banned from owning any single-family homes.

• Imposes a 50% tax on the fair market value of any future hedge fund purchase of a single-family home.

• Tax penalties paid by hedge funds are reserved for down payment assistance for people seeking to purchase homes sold by hedge funds.

• Ensures the tax penalty focuses on problematic actors by excluding nonprofit organizations, public housing agencies and other government entities.

• Includes an explicit certification process for a purchaser of a hedge fund owned home to confirm that they do not own a majority interest in any other single family residential real estate


Fact Sheet: https://www.merkley.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/End-Hedge-Fund-Control-of-American-Homes-Act-1-page-Summary.pdf

News article: https://www.businessinsider.com/housing-market-affordability-investors-hedge-funds-wall-street-democrats-bill-2023-12


Official text

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/6608?s=5&r=1

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/3402?s=4&r=2