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.
Call Now to ask your Assemblymember to vote for AB 1157, Lower the Rent Cap
Assemblymember Ash Kalra has introduced AB1157, the Affordable Rent Act. This bill is in response to the fact that rents are still increasing faster than incomes, and while current state laws protect many tenants from the worst gouging, it still allows rent to double in less than 10 years.
AB 1157 amends the Tenant Protection Act (TPA) of 2019, also known as AB1482 or the State Rent Cap, in the following ways:
Limits allowable annual rent increases to CPI (Consumer Price Index) + 2% or 5%, whichever is lower
Covers renters living in single family homes by removing the TPA’s exemption for single-family homes
Makes the TPA permanent by removing the 2030 sunset.
The bill will be voted on in committee on April 24 and April 29.
Calls are needed to Assemblymembers - ask them to support AB 1157.
Thank you to all our members who participated! The results of the ADEM delegate elections can now be viewed at https://adem.cadem.org/ Click on the Results link at the top.
The 2025 California Democratic Party convention will take place from Friday 5/30 to Sunday 6/1 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Register and get info at www.cdpconvention.org More information will be available soon about the Renters Council meeting and board elections for our 2025-2027 board.
Call Now to urge Assemblymembers to vote for AB 246, Rent Freeze for Los Angeles
Tomorrow (Tuesday March 3rd) there will be a vote in the Assembly Judiciary committee for Assemblymember Isaac Bryan's AB 246, legislation to enact a one-year rent freeze for fire-ravaged Los Angeles County.
Why we need this bill:
- Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the fires and must turn to rental property for housing.
- Since January 7th, increases in average rents have reached 20%.
- Bad actors have taken advantage of the fires and are raising rents at exorbitant amounts.
- Los Angeles County is under a state of emergency and needs a break from increasing rents. AB 246 will allow those who have lost jobs and homes and those looking for new rental property to stay in Los Angeles.
- It is up to elected officials to protect LA residents from price gouging.
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SCRIPT:
Hi, this is (First Name) calling to urge the Assemblymember to vote for AB 246.
This is legislation to help fire-ravaged Los Angeles County. I believe that people impacted by the fires should not face increased rents when they have lost homes or jobs or both.
We are asking the Assembly member to please join the Los Angeles County Supervisors in supporting AB 246 and to vote YES on AB 246 at the hearing on Tuesday.
Phone ALL of the Following Legislators:
Assembly Member Rick Chavez Zbur
Tel: (916) 319-2051
Assembly Member Diane Papan
(916) 319-2021
Assembly Member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan
(916) 319-2016
Assembly Member Blanca Pacheco
(916) 319-2064
Larry Gross at the Coalition for Economic Survival has provided a list of resources, including info on how to apply for assistance, as well as how to report illegal rent gouging, at https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Resources-for-Renters-Impacted-by-the-Fires.html?soid=1101570421077&aid=p8c0od5DWN8&
Membership Eligibility
Membership is open to all registered Democrats, as well as those who intend to register to vote as Democrats when they become eligible. If you need to re-register to vote as a Democrat, please go to https://registertovote.ca.gov/
Dues Options:
Regular Member, $10
Housing Friend, $25
Housing Patron, $50
Housing Activist, $99
Pay your Dues
We are now accepting dues for membership for 2025, which covers members for all of 2025 and up through the first 2026 CADEM Convention. All members have the same voting rights.
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/carent2025
We have a number of generous members that donate more than the amount or set up a monthly additional donation. You can use the same link above to make a additional contribution. There is no contribution limit. This year is an extremely important election year and your donations will be especially helpful in us supporting candidates, rent control ordinances & events to get the renter vote out statewide.
Fee Waiver:
If dues are a financial hardship, please use the Fee Waiver membership form: https://forms.gle/6zBMLdJLRZhrJP2VA
2024 Endorsements
State Propositions
YES on Prop 5 Local Government Financing: Affordable Housing and Public Infrastructure (ACA 1). This Proposition would make it easier to pass local measures to fund housing.
YES on Prop 33 Expands Local Governments' Authority to Enact Rent Control on Residential Property (Justice for Renters Act). This Proposition would allow cities to expand rent control.
NO on Prop 34 Restricts Spending by Health Care Providers Meeting Specified Criteria (Protect Patients Now Act of 2024). This Proposition would ban some organizations from supporting ballot measures.
State Assembly
AD24 - Alex Lee
AD44 - Nick Schultz
AD57 - Sade Elhawary
State Senate
SD9 - Marisol Rubio
SD25 - Sasha Renée Pérez
SD29 - Eloise Gómez Reyes
Local Endorsements
Northern California
AC Transit Ward 6: Jesse Gunn
Berkeley Mayor: Kate Harrison
Berkeley City Council District 2: Jenny Guarino
Berkeley Rent Board: Avery Arbaugh, Xavier Johnson, Alfred Twu, Dominique Walker
Emeryville City Council: Sukhdeep Kaur
Fairfax Town Council: Chance Cutrano
Foothill-De Anza College Board Area 5: Forest Peterson
Fremont Mayor: Vinnie Bacon
Hayward Unified School Board: Austin Bruckner Carrillo, Sara Prada
Mountain View City Council: IdaRose Sylvester
New Haven Unified School Board: Jatinder (JP) Sahi
Oakland City Council D3: Carroll Fife
Oakland City Attorney: Ryan Richardson
Palo Alto City Council: Cari Templeton & George Lu
Richmond City Council District 1: Melvin Lee Willis, Jr
Richmond City Council District 5: Sue Wilson
Richmond City Council District 6: Claudia Jimenez
Santa Clara County Supervisor: Sally Lieber
San Leandro City Council D6: Robert Aguilar Bulatao
San Francisco Supervisor D5: Dean Preston
San Mateo City Council D2: Charles Hansen
Vallejo City Council D3: Tonia Lediju
Central California
Marina City Council District 3: Mike Moeller
Monterey City Council D3: Eric Palmer
Monterey City Council D4: Gino Garcia
Pacific Grove Mayor: Dionne Ybara
Salinas Mayor: Chris Berrera
Salinas City Council D3: Cary Swensen
Southern California
Alhambra City Council D4: Katie Chan
Burbank City Council: Konstantine Anthony, Mike Van Gorder
Culver City Council: Bryan "Bubba" Fish, Nancy Barba
Los Angeles City Council D2: No Consensus
Los Angeles City Council D14 - Ysabel Jurado
Pasadena Unified School District D6: Tina Wu Fredericks
San Diego City Council D3: Coleen Cusack
Santa Ana Mayor: Benjamin Vazquez
Santa Monica City Council: Dan Hall, Ellis Raskin, Barry Snell, Natalya Zernitskaya
Santa Monica College Board: Anastasia Foster
Santa Monica Rent Control Board: Phillis Dudick, Kay Ambriz
West Hollywood City Council: John Erickson, Danny Hang
Recording of our November 12 meeting is now available!
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
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
