SACRAMENTO, Calif. — About half, 44%, of California housing is occupied by renters, but only 2% of California lawmakers are. They do not represent the people that they serve in that sense.
There are 120 lawmakers in the legislature. Only three of them claim renting is their primary source of housing. Those three came together to create the Legislative Renters Caucus.
“Many are unable to pay their rent," Assemblymember Matt Haney said. "This got a lot worse during the pandemic. we have over 2 million Californians who are paying more than they can afford in rent.”
Haney rents a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco. He believes the lack of renters in the Capitol has an impact.
“I think it does end up having an impact on the priorities or at least the perspectives that the legislature has,” Haney said.
He teamed up with Assemblymember Isaac Bryan and Alex Lee
“I still live with my family," Lee said, "And that's something I talk about openly because it's the reality people face.”
The priorities
“Just Cause Eviction protections, which make sure that you actually have to have a reason to evict somebody like non-payment of rent, aren't in place for many property's," Haney said.
"No tenant should live in fear of being hit with a 50 plus percent rent increase," Haney said. "That's also still the case for many renters across the state. We have renters right now that are still waiting for support from the state, and yet are living in fear of eviction and don't have an attorney.”
Lee wants renters to have a bigger voice.
"One, of course, listening and empowering renters and renter’s voice," Lee said. "They are a constituency that often gets drowned out or neglected in favor of big corporate real estate or corporate landlords."
How will three people get this done?
“I believe that our colleagues who are not renters can do right by the people they represent," Haney said, "but I do think that this renters caucus will help educate them, support them, partner for them.”
When do they start getting to work?
“it's pretty easy to meet because only three of us," Lee said. "We've already had some of those meetings together, but we really hope to get listening sessions with renters and advocacy groups in all interested parties, as soon as early 2023."
Another proposal of theirs is to increase renters tax credits.
They say homeowners get a lot of tax credits, but renters do not.
There was a bill to do this in the past, but not enough funding for it was secured.
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