The Bay Area Council, which represents more than 300 of the largest employers in the Bay Area, has announced its opposition to Proposition 10, the ballot measure that would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act.
“We need comprehensive solutions to the housing crisis impacting our region and the entire state, but Proposition 10 would make our problems worse,” Jim Wunderman, president and CEO of the Bay Area Council, said in a news release. “We need to build more units close to public transit options that will help connect workers with good jobs and ensure they can afford a safe, convenient place to live. Proposition 10 would make it even harder to build the new housing we need.”
If the Costa-Hawkins repeal measure succeeds, cities will be authorized to apply rent control to single-family homes and new multifamily housing. They’ll also be able to make rent caps permanent, even after changes in tenancy. This would create a major disincentive for the construction of rental housing, exacerbating California’s ongoing housing shortage.
The Bay Area Council, which includes companies sucn joins a growing number of civil justice, labor, business, and affordable housing organizations opposed to Proposition 10. Opposition to the measure includes the California Chamber of Commerce, NAACP CA and the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California.
Veterans groups opposed to Prop 10 include the state chapters of Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, AMVETS and the American GI Forum.
“Housing affordability is a major concern for veterans and we need to find solutions to California’s housing crisis. However, Prop 10 is the wrong approach. It has no protections for renters, seniors, or veterans, and does not build a single unit of affordable housing,” Lamont Duncan, state commander of the VFW, Deptartment of California, said in a news release. “We strongly urge Californians to vote No on Prop 10.”
Related content:
- Businesses and veterans campaign against rent control (SF Curbed, Aug. 9)