The California Apartment Association is ramping up its campaign to fight another anti-housing rent control measure headed for the statewide ballot.

The measure, bankrolled by the AHF and its president, Michael Weinstein, recently qualified for the Nov. 5, 2024, general election ballot and seeks to repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995, California’s most important rental housing protection law.

In response, CAA has reactivated Californians for Responsible Housing, the same campaign committee that successfully defeated Weinstein’s previous two radical rent control measures, Propositions 10 and 21. To support the committee, CAA has hired a cadre of seasoned pollsters, campaign consultants, legal advisors, and media relations specialists.

Concurrently, CAA is sponsoring a separate ballot measure aimed at preventing Weinstein from misusing taxpayer dollars on future rent control campaigns or other political ventures unrelated to the core mission of the AHF. It would mark a substantial shift for Weinstein, who’s funneled upward of $100 million to political ventures in recent years, reports Politico. He’s also vowed to continue bankrolling statewide rent control measures until one passes.

By repealing Costa-Hawkins, Weinstein’s so-called “Justice for Renters Act” not only would empower cities and counties to impose strict rent control on all apartments and single-family homes, but it would abolish the state’s existing ban on vacancy control. Vacancy control prohibits rental housing providers from adjusting rents to market rates when a tenant moves out. Such a policy leads to property deterioration and stifled investment in housing.

CAA’s statewide initiative, the Protect Patients Now Act, would impose safeguards to prevent the AHF from misspending taxpayer dollars that should be spent on patient healthcare. The Protect Patient Now Act provides that, should the law be violated, the offending organizations could face severe repercussions, including potential investigations and loss of federal funding.

CAA’s dual campaigns aim to defeat both Weinstein’s current rent control measure and prevent him from misusing taxpayer dollars to fund rent control campaigns in the future.

In the coming weeks, CAA will provide details on how rental housing providers can help defeat Weinstein’s latest attack on housing and support CAA’s Protect Patients Now Act.