The number of newspapers urging readers to reject Proposition 10 and preserve the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act continues to grow.
In recent days, more than 15 newspapers took stances against Prop 10, which would bring extreme forms of rent control back to California.
These newspapers include the Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee, Bakersfield Californian, San Francisco Business Times, Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, Palo Alto Daily Post, and La Opinión, the nation’s largest Spanish-language newspaper. Also joining the chorus against Prop 10 is the 11-newspaper Southern California Newspaper Group, which includes the Los Angeles Daily News, Orange County Register and the Riverside Press-Enterprise.
“Voters should reject Proposition 10, which is being falsely presented as an easy way to combat increasing rents and to increase affordable housing,” says the Bakersfield Californian’s editorial. “The answer to California’s housing crisis is to build more affordable housing, not to discourage construction.”
Writes the San Francisco Business Times: “Rent control has long been a poster child for the law of unintended consequences. Yes, it holds down rents for one group of tenants, but it tends to raise them for the rest. It gives landlords an incentive to skimp on building maintenance. It discourages mobility, reducing housing availability. By far the most damaging of all, rent control pushes existing housing out of the rental market while making it harder to build the new housing that California so badly needs.”
Other newspapers to oppose Prop 10 include the San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News/East Bay Times and San Diego Union-Tribune.
More from CAA:
- UC Berkeley economist releases third paper on merits of Costa-Hawkins (CAA, Oct. 3)
- Proposition 10 trailing in poll by Public Policy Institute of California (CAA, Sept. 27)
- If Prop 10 passes, activists may circumvent elected officials to impose radical rent control (CAA, Sept. 19)
- Campaign ads released to fight Prop 10, repeal of Costa-Hawkins (CAA, Sept. 12)
- UC Berkeley economist criticizes rent control, Prop 10 in new study (CAA, Sept. 6)
- State and local leaders throughout California take stand against Prop 10 (CAA, Sept. 5)
- Affordable housing groups announce opposition to Costa-Hawkins repeal measure (CAA, Aug. 22)
- CAA warns that Prop 10 would cause exodus from rental market (CAA, Aug. 15)
- Bay Area Council joins opponents to Costa-Hawkins repeal (CAA, Aug. 13)
- Legislative Analyst’s Office: Prop 10 may cause local, state taxes to soar (CAA, July 25)
- Civil Justice Association of California announces opposition to Proposition 10 (CAA, July 25)
- State Building and Construction Trades Council joins CAA, others to fight Costa-Hawkins repeal (CAA, June 30)
- CAA, FPI Management and REALTORS warn lawmakers that repealing Costa-Hawkins would worsen housing crisis (CAA, June 22)
- Measure to repeal Costa-Hawkins qualifies for November ballot (CAA, June 22)
