SENATOR MARIA ELENA DURAZO
SB 567 KEY STATISTICS AND STORIES
A $100 increase in rent prices has contributed to a 9% increase in homelessness (Source: U.S. GAO (Government Accountability Office Report)
A full-time worker would have to earn $39.01/hr in order to afford a 2- bedroom rental home at Fair Market Rent
Renters need to earn 2.9 times the state minimum wage to afford average asking rent in California, which increased by 4%.
Median rent in California has increased 38% since 2000 while median renter household income has only increased by 7% (adjusted for inflation).
The Terner Center found that when AB 1482 was passed in 2018- 2019 rent appreciated at a rate of 3-4%, in 2021-2022 rents have appreciated about 16%-11%.
Between 2017 and 2022 alone, homelessness increased 30% across the state, faster than anywhere in the U.S.
79% of extremely low-income (ELI) renter households are paying more than half of their income on housing costs compared to 6% of moderate-income renter households. This includes many of the States low-wage workers - Essential Workers!
According to updated data released today by the California Department of Education, there are about 5.9 million students enrolled in public schools this school year, close to 40,000 fewer students than last year or a .7% drop. But the number of students experiencing homelessness increased by 9%, about 16,000, to a total of approximately 187,000 kids.
Court of Public Opinion
o Source: CZI Polling
According to a Fall 2022 poll, Californians are ready for bold and meaningful action!
Source: NLIHC Out of Reach 2022 Report
Number of renters: 17 million
Number of renter households = 5,861,796
Number of renter households earning below 30% AMI = 1,308,774 Percent of renter households earning below 30% AMI = 22% Number of renter households earning below 50% AMI = 2,144,679 Percent of renter households earning below 50% AMI = 37%
SOME POWERFUL CENTRAL VALLEY STATISTICS-
CalMatters released a report in July 2021 with findings that the Central Valley had been hit the hardest with evictions and lockouts throughout the pandemic.
“On average, about 6 of every 10,000 households were locked out.
The eviction rates jumped to 14 for every 10,000 households in Kern County, 11 in Kings County, 12 in Merced County and 18 in Stanislaus County.” This number doubles when you consider those who self-evicted or those that were evicted outside the normal process. Much of this is due to the lack of protections from AB 1482.
LA Times report in March 2021 - Over the last four years, no large U.S. city has seen greater increases in rent than Fresno. Since 2017, average rent for homes in Fresno is up nearly 39% to $1,289 a month
That includes a 12% increase during the pandemic
TENANT STORIES
Teresa Reyes (Bakersfield)
o Asked her landlord to fix a lightbulb January 2023 a couple days after she got a notice of rent increase from $700-$750.
The landlord got upset and told her to learn to speak english in this country, a couple of days later he handed them a 60 day notice of termination of lease. They had to leave due to him remodeling the home, the deadline expired and now they face an eviction. She has looked for an attorney and for her rights endlessly since January, no one has been able to help her. Her court hearing is April 19th, 2023.
o “I could not sleep before my mediation. I did not sleep for two days. I’m paying my rent and even though I can pay rent, I can't believe I am going through this. Just because the landlord says he doesn't want me here. What am I going to do with my
children?”
o “I have seeked help, no one cares and they just give me negative answers. I don’t want to keep his home, I just want time to find somewhere new to rent. I have applied to
apartments, no one has called me back. I can’t sleep, I have tooth pain that I can’t tend to. I have children..”
Anita Mendoza, San Pablo, Contra Costa
o "I’ve worked hard my whole life as a caretaker for elderly and disabled people in this community, and I have lived in my home for over 30 years, raising my children here. A few years ago a new owner purchased our building. Within months we started receiving eviction notices for substantial renovation trying to kick us out, only giving us the option to return to our property if the rent was raised 200% - far beyond the 10% rent cap the state allows. I was terrified. I knew that if I were evicted or my rent raised that much I would become homeless. I never
thought that at this stage in life that I would be looking at the possibility of living in a tent.
o [Fortunately, after organizing with my neighbors we were able to stop the eviction and instead only get a 10% rent increase, but if my rent continues to go up by 10% every year, in no time will that force me out of my home. My story is proof that rent hikes and evictions do cause homelessness. Had my landlord’s plan initially gone through, or if my rent continues to increase by 10% every year, I will not likely have a roof over my head."]
Teresa Flores (Las Camelias)
o Apartment has flooded every time it rained, the landlord refused to fix it. There was mold, wet and dirty carpets, broken appliances. Chronic migraines caused her to lose work time and catching COVID caused her to miss work and her rent payment. She was handed a UD, no notice between christmas and new years. She seeked help and no one helped, she went through mediation alone with no attorney. The court mediator told her to just accept whatever the landlord’s attorney said to avoid going to a hearing, she would lose everything with a judge. She accepted a repayment plan, sheriff lockout on May 29th and no eviction going on her record for 7 years. She lost her home.
Iraides Gonzalez, El Cajon, San Diego Area
o "Blackstone has increased my rent by almost 10% - from one day to the other my rent went up by $200. I have been living in this apartment for 4 years now, and another 6 in another unit in this building. 3 years ago, after a $100 dollar rent increase I needed to sublease a room to a stranger. Now I'm subleasing 2 rooms out of the 3 bedroom apartment in order to make rent.
Me and my 3 kids sleep in the same room now. Even with
splitting the rent, I can barely afford it."
Gladys Valcazar, Imperial Beach, San Diego Area
o "My rent went up by $181 this past month, I live at Grove Condos Apartments in Imperial Beach and my building was purchased by Blackstone. I have been living here for 4 years now and in the last two years that Blackstone purchased my apartment, my rent has already gone up twice. I am a single working mother with 1 son. I cannot afford this. I only have enough money for 6 months of rent and I don't know what I am going to do after."
LaKeisha Burks, Sacramento
o “I've lived in my apartment for 20 years and I just received a 10% rent increase and a $100 increase on my utilities. I think what they are doing should be illegal, all I want to do is pay my rent but with this new rent increase I will have to choose between staying in my apartment or buying food because I only make $1000 a month and $908 will go towards rent.”
Kimberly Sow, Sacramento
o “My mom just passed away when I was hit with a 12% rent increase - they just fixed it to 10%, but I had to immediately go back to work after my mom’s funeral with no time off to grieve because as a single mom I can’t afford to pay this new rent, food and utilities on the income I have.”
Vanessa Hernandez, Pittsburg
o "My landlord was trying to evict me for substantial rehabilitation and claiming I could return to the unit under a new lease with the rent increased by $300 - far more than 10%. We were able to stop the eviction, but now our rent has gone up by 10%. I have 2 small children. I have no other place to go and my family will be homeless if these rent increases continue to go through."