Santa Ana Rent Control Update (10/20/21)
The first Orange County city has fallen. Santa Ana approved new rent control and just cause eviction laws on a 4-3 vote of the city council on Tuesday, October 19.
The Santa Ana City Council majority voted - as expected - in support of the proposed ordinances, having REFUSED to take meetings with rental property owners, operators, and industry representatives to discuss the issue before taking action. Santa Ana now becomes the first city in Orange County to surpass existing state rent control laws by:
- REDUCING allowable rent increases to 3%, or 80% of the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), whichever is less
- REMOVING property owners' ability to prohibit tenants from being added to leases
- RESTRICTING property owners from accessing their units with reasonable notice
- EXTENDING just cause eviction protections starting on the 31st day of tenancy, rather than after 12 months
- PROHIBITING evictions of households with students during the school year
- REQUIRING the prosecution of an individual in order to evict for criminal activity, and more...
City council members refused to include rental-housing providers in any discussion of these ordinances either both before or after their development and introduction. Now that the laws have been approved, WE ARE BRINGING THE FIGHT TO OVERTURN THEM.
On Friday, October 22, a signature gathering campaign is being launched by Santa Ana for Fair and Equitable Housing to QUALIFY A REFERENDUM TO OVERTURN THESE ORDINANCES.
WE HAVE 30 DAYS TO GATHER 18,000 SIGNATURES IN ORDER TO QUALIFY THE REFERENDUM.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- Volunteer to help gather voter signatures – email us at Advocacy@aaoc.com.
- Inform your peers about what’s happening - and warn that your city could be next.
- Inform your renters about how they will be hurt directly by these policies.
- CONTRIBUTE to the campaign to OVERTURN this attack – CLICK HERE.
Rent control and just cause eviction will spread throughout Orange County if we fail to overturn it in Santa Ana.
NOW IS THE TIME TO TAKE OUT THIS ATTACK ON YOUR BUSINESS... AND ANYONE WHO SUPPORTS IT!
If you have questions or you wish discuss ways that you can help, contact Chip Ahlswede at advocacy@aaoc.com.