Pasadena Tenants Union Must Keep Fighting for Rent Control

GUEST OPINION

Residents’ belongings outside an apartment building in Pasadena (Photo – ColoradoBlvd.net).

California is famous for earth-shaking events. Assembly Bill 1482, currently awaiting Governor Newsome’s signature, could be such an event.

By Matthew Sorrenti

The bill would institute a rent cap and just-cause eviction protections, for tenants. Landlords could no longer evict tenants and their families unless they violated their lease agreements. As important as this legislation is to millions of California renters, including those in Pasadena, we are not looking at the end of the road for organizing tenants. AB 1482 does not eliminate the need for universal rent control and tenant empowerment.

AB 1482
…is an
“anti-rent gouging”
bill

As San Francisco Assemblymember David Chiu has stated, AB 1482 is not rent control, but an “anti-rent gouging” bill. It will address the most egregious examples of tenant exploitation with a rent cap set at 5% plus local inflation. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index for the Los Angeles area (which includes Pasadena) is at 3% inflation as of August 2019, meaning that Pasadena tenants could still see their rents rise up to 8% under the new law. While this cap will undoubtedly benefit many, an 8% increase is still untenable for most low income and working-class Pasadena residents. That is assuming you live in a building covered by AB 1482. The bill would not apply to properties opened in the last 15 years, owner-occupied duplexes, single family homes not owned by real estate companies, or tenants who have been in their homes for a year or less.

While AB 1482 will provide renters with more security, there are still state laws in place which will likely weaken its impact. The 1985 Ellis Act allows landlords to evict entire rent-controlled buildings, provided the owners are leaving the rental market. In practice, this gives property owners extensive leeway to oust tenants in order to “flip” properties for luxury condominiums or hotels, fueling gentrification According to the Los Angeles Tenants Union, approximately 20,000 rent protected units have been lost since 2001. No doubt this trend will continue.

Tenant’s rights
..is realizing a
dignified
existence
for all

AB 1482 is a necessary lifeline for millions of Californians struggling with the burden of housing costs. While recognizing the significant gains made by this legislation, we must continue to demand housing as a human right. For this reason, local tenants unions and rent control campaigns must persist to fight for tenant protections, against gentrification, and to build tenant associations across California. The tenant’s rights movement is ultimately about much more than achieving concessions from Sacramento. It is about empowering the poor and the working class, and realizing a dignified existence for all.