California Proposition 98 Would Eliminate Rent Control, Tenant Protections, and a Lot More

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Lynda Carson

The June 2008 Ballot has a dangerous measure known as Proposition 98 (California Property Owners and Farmland Protection Act, or CPOFPA). If passed by the voters, Prop. 98 would terminate rent control, tenant protections, and would place homeowners at risk by allowing unscrupulous property owners to challenge existing building codes and zoning laws that may prohibit the placing of a “pig sty” next to someone’s home, or a “porn shop” next to a church or school.

There are only two state ballot measures coming up in June, one known as Prop. 98 and the other as Prop. 99. Both competing measures are meant to prevent government from taking private property for other private use, and are in response to a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows the government to take private property and turn it over to another private interest for economic development. Activists across the state, say that Prop. 98 is bad, and Prop. 99 is good.

Prop. 98 is also a stealth measure that guts protections for land, air, water, species and natural resources, according to a legal analysis by the environmental law firm of Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger.

“That is a big resounding no on Prop. 98,” says low-income Oakland renter Rodney Younger. “I am an African-American parent with a son and a daughter to protect, and Prop. 98 takes away our rights to defend our housing if it passes.”

On April 25, the Apartment Owner’s Association (AOA) of California held a seminar at Oakland’s Hilton Hotel, which included Eviction Workshops, to teach local landlords how to evict their tenants.

Just Cause Oakland joined others to hold a morning protest in front of the Hilton Hotel, to greet the landlords who showed up for the Eviction Workshops being conducted by the AOA.

According to Lauren Wheeler of Just Cause Oakland, “Close to 80 people showed up to protest against the AOA event, that teaches landlords how to evict tenants.”

“We wanted to let them know that we will not let them end renter’s protections which would occur if Prop. 98 passes. We had to let the AOA members know that Prop. 98 would result in the eviction of thousands of Oakland renters, and that people should vote no on Prop. 98, and yes on Prop. 99 to save renters protections in California,” said Wheeler.