What is it?

Proposition 33 will repeal the "Costa Hawkins Rental Housing Act" act, which established statewide guidelines on rent control.

Costa Hawkins is widely considered an essential part of sensible rent control policy. By limiting the year when a building becomes eligible for rent control, it prevents cities from discouraging homebuilding by setting infeasible rent control requirements on brand new homes. It also encourages landlords to renovate their properties after a tenant moves out by allowing them to set new rents in order to offset renovation costs.

Proposition 33 will eliminate these guard rails and allow cities to set their own laws without oversight from the state.

Why vote No?

Prop 33 will make rent in San Francisco even more expensive.

Prop 33 is a Trojan Horse. It lets cities impose new rules which will stop all new homebuilding. This anti-housing act allows cities like Beverly Hills and Huntington Beach to pass anti-housing policies without state oversight, making new homes impossible to build. When cities across the state limit homebuilding, it raises costs for all of us.

The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office estimates that renters in market-rate housing may pay more, fewer homes will be available to rent, local property tax revenues will decline by "at least tens of millions of dollars annually", and local government costs may increase. And it is likely to reduce rental homebuilding activity in cities and counties where new construction is not temporarily exempted from rent control laws, further deepening the housing shortage and raising rental rates for everyone.