2024-12-08
CADEM Renters Council
Dec 8, 2024 Membership Meeting
Present:
Mari
Alfred
Art
Esther
Larry
Monica
Igor (8:05pm)
+5 others
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Approve minutes Motion Art, 2nd Larry, approve unanimous
Treasurer Report from Vinnie
$4,860.25 in bank
We spent about $1000 on advertising for our endorsed candidates in priority elections on the Central Coast
SECRETARY'S REPORT
Annie put together a Legislative Scorecard. We scored legislators based on how they voted on bills that the Council endorsed. 13 Senators and 21 Assemblymembers voted the right way on every bill we took a position we took on that they had the opportunity to vote on. The Governor also signed every bill that we endorsed that reached his desk.
On a whole, Democrats averaged a score of 84% while Republicans averaged 5%.
ELECTION RECAP
Endorsements:
Of the 6 people we endorsed for state legislature, 5 won - Alex Lee, Nick Schultz, Sade Elhawary, Sasha Renee Perez, Eloise Gomez Reyes. Marisol Rubio came close, got 48%.
Prop 33 failed, Prop 34 passed. Landlords spent $160 million dollars against rent control. Prop 33 was polling ahead, Newsom's opposition to 33 caused support to drop. Landlords using the argument that rent control would reduce building of housing to confuse people. Voter turnout also down.
Dems lost 1 State senate and 2 Assembly seats, but won 3 Congressional seats. Need to invest in year-round organizing.
2026 Elections
Of candidates for Governor, only one of them supported rent control ballot measure Prop 33 - Betty Yee. The rest opposed or stayed out of it. Eleni also supported Prop 34 (which Renters Council opposed)
SOCAL
AHF is still committed to the effort but may wait for new governor, look for workarounds to Prop 34 to continue supporting tenant movement.
Compared to Prop 21 in 2020, support for rent control dropped in Bay & LA but increased in Central Valley.
Inglewood is considering requiring affordable housing in new buildings.
Renters rights candidates swept in West Hollywood, Santa Monica, and even LA is looking good.
Looking at another effort to reform the Ellis Act. Currently looking into what legislators are willing to go for.
LA looking at establishing right to counsel ordinance, short term rental ordinance, reducing the maximum rent increases including utilities.
After winning the Barrington Plaza lawsuit and stopping the illegal Ellis Act evictions, groups are working on getting damages paid out from landlord to the tenants
NORCAL
Bay Area made a difference in a lot of key races. Alameda County helped elect Jerry McNerny to State Senate. We did have a lot of wins - there are also additional candidates we didn't endorse who we can work with.
Energy Justice Action Movement (EJAM) - a coalition of organizations working on affordability and access - reducing utility costs. PG&E did a rate hike and announced a 25% increase in profits.
Motion to join the EJAM. Motion Larry, Alfred 2nd. Approved by voice vote. Next steps may involve going to Central Committees, new legislators, city councils, and Caucuses to talk about this. A standard resolution that orgs and cities can pass is coming.
SACRAMENTO
Still will be hard to pass new tenant ordinances at local level. Realtor & landlord backed candidate narrowly won Sacramento Mayor election. But a pro-renter councilmember was elected, Roger Dickinson.
Working on protecting tenants from immigration raids - more organizations and attorneys needed in Sacramento and Central Valley.
CENTRAL VALLEY
Availability of any housing scarce, almost complete lack of affordable housing. State has been trying to get all communities to build affordable housing but there's still opposition.
Cost of living has been a huge problem for elders in the Central Valley since their incomes haven't changed.
In Tulare County - redlining is going on by the county through the creation of new community service districts that don't have the funding to build new infrastructure for new housing as a way to stop housing. Has also led to higher utility bills for existing residents, especially for water. Farmers trying to offload their water costs onto rural communities. Some of these districts only have 50-100 houses.
Attorney General Bonta has been enforcing laws to require cities to build housing, for example in Elk Grove.
Opposition has won some local elections in rural Central Valley, also planning recalls. Need year-round organizing to counter this. Central Committees need to step up. Need state party support when local party doesn't.
CENTRAL COAST
Central Committee elections have seen shift to right, for example in Salinas after rent stabilization passed, opposition took over Central Committee and city council. Influence of Big Ag, similar to Central Valley.
City of Monterey kept its pro-renter majority. Now have one of the most diverse councils. First time with district elections. City is building affordable housing, finally got new water supply. With over 60%+ renters, Monterey has highest percent of renter population, many are low income workers and/or seniors. Other cities about 50%+ renters. Renters often move, and feel less tied to any one city, so regional/countywide/state organizing important.
"We have created a permanent renter class" - that is becoming the majority in this state, and we need to turn them out.
3 Tele-Townhalls with electeds in Monterey County - were a big success.
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AB1482 only has 5 years left - need to organize to extend / create new legislation.
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Motion to send letter in support Burbank Rental Registry. Provides important data, helps enforce Short Term Rental ordinance, etc. CityCouncil@burbankca.gov
Motion Art, 2nd Monica, approved by voice vote.
Meeting adjourned 12/8/2024