Housing justice advocates and backers of the Rental Affordability Act (RAA), a November 2020 state ballot initiative that will allow for the expansion of rent control throughout California, today announced that Kevin de León, California State Senate Pro Tempore Emeritus; State Senator María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles); State Assembly Members Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), Wendy Carrillo (D-East Los Angeles) and Rob Bonta (D-Oakland); and Antonio Vazquez, Chairman of the State Board of Equalization, have all endorsed the RAA. They join labor and civil rights icon, Dolores Huerta, in calling for the need to expand rent control in the state.
“I am proud to endorse the Rental Affordability Act and support the fight for housing justice. Millions of Californians already struggling to make ends meet are now facing even more housing insecurity, and possible homelessness, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the economy. It is time for us to finally use proven solutions to end California's housing affordability and homelessness crisis,” said Kevin de León.
California’s housing affordability crisis, fueled by skyrocketing rents, wage stagnation, and rapid gentrification of many minority communities throughout the state, has especially ravaged low-income Latino communities. Nearly a third of Latino renters in California spend at least half of their income on rent, and the number of Latino residents experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles has more than doubled in recent years.
“I proudly endorse the Rental Affordability Act because I believe every Californian deserves access to safe, stable, and affordable housing. Far too many of our neighbors live just a paycheck away from displacement and homelessness. The time to act is now,” said Sen. Maria Elena Durazo.
The string of prominent endorsements coincides with the announcement that David Campos, a former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, will serve as the campaign’s Northern California Regional Chair.
“As we face a once-in-a-life-time pandemic and the worst recession since the Great Depression, this is the time finally make housing affordable for all Californians. Unless housing becomes affordable, the American Dream will be out of reach for many of our fellow Californians, especially immigrants and people of color,” said Campos.
“We are extremely honored to receive the endorsement of leaders who share in our belief that housing is a fundamental human right—and an especially urgent priority for the Latino community,” said René Christian Moya, Campaign Director for the Rental Affordability Act. “As a proud Mexican American child of immigrant parents, I have seen the devastating effects of the housing crisis in our community. The Rental Affordability Act is more important than ever as COVID-19 devastates our community and Latino renters face a tsunami of evictions.”
The Rental Affordability Act is sponsored by Homeowners & Tenants United, with significant funding by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Learn more at https://www.rentcontrolnow.org.
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Contacts:
Ged Kenslea, AHF Communications Dir., gedk@aidshealth.org (323) 791-5526 cell
