Housing crisis is being exacerbated by the California Apartment Association

Housing crisis is being exacerbated by the California Apartment Association

By Lynda Carson - August 13, 2019

The housing crisis in the Bay Area is being exacerbated by the corrupting activities of the California Apartment Association (CAA), and the notorious signature-gatherers they are using to hoodwink unsuspecting renters into signing petitions that are against their best interests.

To protect the renters, in a 3 to 2 vote last May the El Cerrito City Council passed a just cause eviction protection law to protect the renters facing never ending rent increases and evictions, from greedy landlords and realtors.

Recently in El Cerrito, just when the renters believed that they have gained some just cause eviction protections from the greedy landlords and realtors involved in gouging the renters with exorbitant rent increases, and displacing the renters with eviction-for-profit schemes, here comes the California Apartment Association (CAA), and their BIG MONEY. BIG MONEY has been used by the CAA to meddle in the affairs of the city leaders with a petition to block an eviction protection ordinance from going into effect in El Cerrito.

CAA Meddles In The Affairs Of El Cerrito:

In response to the efforts of the City Council in El Cerrito trying to protect the vulnerable renters, the CAA decided to meddle in the affairs of the city, and brags about it on their website. Reportedly, the CAA sponsored a $30,000 signature-gathering effort to collect over 2,000 signatures for a petition meant to block the eviction protections from protecting the renters.

The signature-gathering initiative/referendum sponsored by the BIG MONEY of the CAA blocked the eviction ordinance from taking effect which resulted in pressuring the City Council on July 31 to repeal the “just cause” for eviction ordinance.

Rather than spending the money needed for a future special election to let the voters vote on a ballot measure promoting just cause eviction protections, the City Council in El Cerrito decided to repeal the just cause eviction ordinance, and bowed down to the BIG MONEY spent by the meddling activities of the CAA.

Notorious Signature-Gatherers Used By The California Apartment Association:

In an August 11th article by the Mercury News, the following was reported as a quote: “Sherry Drobner, an organizer with El Cerrito Progressives — a group that rallied in support of the ordinance — said in an interview that a signature gatherer wearing a Bernie Sanders T-shirt told her the petition was to put rent control on the ballot. When she realized it was actually for the referendum, she posted about the encounter on social media."

“So many people contacted me after because they had signed the petition thinking it was something positive for renters,” she said. END of quote:

Signature-Gatherers Linked To CAA Charged With Fraud:

In the recent past, signature-gatherers linked to the CAA for anti-rent control petitions have been charged with fraud. BIG MONEY and the CAA have repeatedly meddled in the affairs of Richmond, and many other cities around the Bay Area.

Campaigns involving the CAA in their efforts to block renter protections from taking effect throughout California have been widely criticized, including campaigns in Richmond and Santa Rosa.

Housing Crisis Is Being Exacerbated By The California Apartment Association:

Because of the activities of the members of the CAA and their partners in the rental housing industry, Oakland has the fastest pace for gentrification and displacement in the Bay Area. The rents in Oakland keep going higher, and higher.

In a recent report, high rents are impacting the health care of renters. The activities of the CAA only makes matters worse for the existing housing crisis, and the people being forced out onto the streets into a houseless crisis.

Additionally, according to a report by Zillow, “Communities where people spend more than 32 percent of their income on rent can expect a more rapid increase in homelessness, according to new Zillow-sponsored research on the size and root causes of the nation’s homelessness challenge. The research also estimates that the scale of homelessness nationwide has been undercounted by roughly 115,000 people, or 20 percent.”

Out Of Reach: How much per hour in wages to afford a 2 bedroom unit? According to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition in 2019. MOST EXPENSIVE AREAS HOUSING WAGE: San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area $60.96, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area $54.60, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA MSA$46.90, Oakland-Fremont, CA HUD Metro FMR Area $40.88, San Diego-Carlsbad, CA MSA $39.77.

In addition to the housing crisis being exacerbated by the CAA, making matters worse the Trump administration has been trying to cut the budget for the federal housing assistance programs for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Additionally, billionaire Stephen Ross of the Related Companies/Related/Related California held a recent fundraiser for Trump despite the fact that Trump wants to cut the federal budget for HUD’s housing assistance programs. Drastic budget cuts that would affect the affordable housing sites and partnerships of the Related Companies/Related California.

Lynda Carson may be reached at tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com

>>>>>>
>>>>>>