If the election were held today, a measure to repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act would likely go down in defeat, a statewide poll released this week indicates.

The poll, conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California, gauged voter sentiments on Proposition 10 and other ballot measures.

“Proposition 10, the local rent control initiative, trails by a 12 point margin,” Mark Baldassare, president and chief executive officer the institute, said in a news release about the poll. “The yes votes are falling below a majority among both homeowners and renters.”

Among likely voters, 48 percent would vote no on Proposition 10; 36 percent would vote yes, and 16 percent are undecided, the PPIP poll says. Among renters, 51 percent said they would vote no in the election were held today.

“I’m encouraged that that message is getting out there, that voters do understand that rent control is not a panacea,” said Matt Regan, senior vice president of public policy for the Bay Area Council, in this Mercury News article.

By repealing Costa-Hawkins, Prop 10 would once again authorize California cities and counties to adopt extreme forms of rent control, including the imposition of rent caps on new apartments and single-family homes. Such moves would create a major disincentive for the development of much needed housing.

Slim majorities of Republican and independent likely voters (52 percent each) would vote no on the measure, according to the poll. Democrats, meanwhile, are divided (46 percent yes, 43 percent no). In no area of the state do more than half of the voters support Proposition 10; it is lowest in the Inland Empire (29 percent).

“The poll confirms that Californians understand that Prop 10 will make California’s housing crisis even worse by freezing the construction of new affordable housing, reducing the value of their homes, and causing more evictions,” No on Prop 10 spokesman Steven Maviglio said in a news release. “Nearly every geographic and demographic group in the state opposes this flawed measure.”

Related content:

• Ballot measures to repeal gas tax, expand rent control trail in poll (San Francisco Chronicle, Sept. 26)
• California rent control ballot measure lagging, new poll finds (Sacramento Bee, Sept. 26)

More from CAA: 

• 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)