Tenant activists are again attempting to place a rent control measure before voters in Pasadena.
Rent control proponents last month announced they would attempt to qualify an initiative for the November 2020 ballot. Although the measure currently lacks details, tenant activists hope to cap rents at the rate of inflation and include a “just cause” eviction policy in the measure, according to LAist.
The Pasadena Tenant Justice Coalition is behind the latest effort. The coalition includes five groups: the Pasadena Tenants Union; Socialist Scientists of Pasadena; Affordable Housing Services; American Civil Liberties Union—Southern California; and the Democratic Socialists of America Los Angeles.
Tenant activists failed to qualify a rent control measure in Pasadena last year, having collected 10,224 of the 12,982 signatures required.
Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek said rent control would hamper the city’s ability to add housing.
“People are frustrated and looking for solutions,” Tornek said, as reported by LAist. “There’s obvious interest in the issue and everybody’s got an idea. I just think this is a bad one.”