Join East Bay for Everyone on January 10th for Costa Hawkins Lobbying Day!
Early last year, AB-1506 was introduced by assemblymembers Bloom, Chiu, and Bonta. This bill is an incredibly short, yet powerful bill. Its full text is (currently):
SECTION 1. Chapter 2.7 (commencing with Section 1954.50) of Title 5 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code is repealed.
This plain, unassuming language repeals the Costa Hawkins Act in its entirety. Costa Hawkins is a state law that puts limits on a city’s ability to enact rent control ordinances. Its effects are significant:
- Single family homes may not be placed under rent control
- Rent control may not apply to housing built after 1995
- Rent controlled units return to market rate after a vacancy
Of particular note is its limit on housing built after 1995. This has dire consequences for densification of our cities: we’re simply not allowed to create new rent controlled units!
AB-1506 aims to cure these wrongs with a full repeal. Such a repeal is not likely meaning now is the most important time for us to get involved. East Bay for Everyone recently updated our platform to lay out the specifics of what kind of rent control we support. Read it here.
What needs done?
AB-1506 is being heard at the assembly’s housing and transportation committee in the early morning (8 am!) on January 11th. Getting there in the morning is a huge hassle for many of our members, so we’re organizing meetings with state assemblymembers for the day before.
If you’re able to come with us to Sacramento for the late morning or afternoon, sign up here!
We’ll be coordinating carpools, train rides, and maybe even a bus to get everyone there and back. If you’ve never been lobbying before, you should make plans to come!
Lobbying is easy, especially if you’re not paid to do it. It mostly involves walking door to door in the state capitol building, meeting with legislative aids and assemblymembers, and pitching AB-1506 to them as a thing they should totally vote for. The landlord industry will be lobbying against the bill as well, but legislators are more keen to listen to actual volunteers and constituents than they are paid lobbyists.
Sign up above and we’ll be sending out more information as the day approaches. Plan to spend 3-5 hours of your day fighting for stronger rent control.