SACRAMENTO, CA- Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath released the following statement upon her vote on Assemblymember Chiu’s Anti-Rent Gouging Bill (AB 1482) on Wednesday.
“We are in the midst of a statewide housing crisis. For the first time, we are seeing ‘working homeless’ in our district — families who are working multiple jobs and living in our homeless shelters. There is no doubt that the kids of hardworking parents are not getting a fair shot at the American Dream. So many of our neighbors are just one rent-increase away from joining these families in our shelters and the streets.
“It is our tough job as a Legislature to stop talking and take urgent action to address the statewide housing crisis. We have run out of time. Today we have a solution before us to stop rent-gouging policies that displace families in our district, AB 1482 (Chiu).
“To be clear — I voted no on this bill when it first came to the Assembly floor. In my opinion the original bill went too far, was too extreme and didn’t strike the right balance.
“However, the bill before us today is significantly improved and I am thankful the author has taken many of my amendments, including allowing no-fault evictions for renovations, excluding many non-corporate homes and owner-occupied duplexes, and ensuring that all criminal activity is just cause. I am committed to working with all parties to make improvements to these policies in the future, such as non-corporate 1-10 unit complexes.
“This is not rent-control, which I oppose. When tenants move out, when complexes are renovated, rents can be increased. Rents can be increased at reasonable rates that give our seniors certainty on fixed incomes. It has no impact on new construction of multi-family housing. The just cause clauses are reasonable and fair.
While it is still not perfect, it is a reasonable, immediate solution to keep our neighbors in our community. We must urgently continue to work on how to increase supply, together with local governments, that is compatible with our neighborhoods so that when this bill sunsets, it will no longer be necessary.”
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