Developers of affordable housing in California already have a rough time of it: funding is hard to secure; construction costs spiral; cities put up a fight for one reason or another. But Los Angeles’s bizarro


San Pablo Tenants and Activists Will Run Underdog Campaign to Rein In Unfair Rents
In News by Patrick Range McDonald / Jul. 30, 2026In San Pablo, California, tenants and activists have placed a rent stabilization measure on the local ballot, aiming to rein in predatory landlords. Located in Northern California, San Pablo joins Salinas and Redwood City that

Why is the California Apartment Association Hiding Its Board of Directors From the Public?
In News by Patrick Range McDonald / Jul. 23, 2026Sometime in the past several months, maybe even a year ago, the California Apartment Association, the deep-pocketed lobbying group for corporate landlords, decided to hide the names of its board of directors from the public.

To Address Homelessness, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Must Also Tackle Skyrocketing Rents
In News by Patrick Range McDonald / Jul. 21, 2026In his first pledge as the United Kingdom’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham has promised to end long-term “rough sleeping” through increased investment in a number of homeless programs. While his commitment is welcomed, any

Corporate Landlord Greystar at the Center of Yet Another Disturbing Scandal
In News by Patrick Range McDonald / Jul. 16, 2026Only a few months ago, Housing Is A Human Right detailed Greystar’s shocking track record in its mistreatment of tenants, and now the corporate landlord has created yet another disturbing scandal. The New York Times

California Desperately Needs to Speed Up Permitting to Address the Housing Affordability Crisis
In News by Patrick Range McDonald / Jul. 14, 2026One look at a data dashboard by the California Department of Housing and Community Development shows that the state desperately needs to ramp up the construction of very-low-income, low-income, and moderate-income housing. A key way

Redwood City Activists and Tenants Move Closer to Much-Needed Rent Control Victory
In News by Patrick Range McDonald / Jul. 09, 2026On July 7, in California, the Redwood City Council gave the green light to place a rent stabilization initiative on the local November ballot. Tenants and activists, led by Faith in Action Bay Area, gathered

Politicians Must Use Multi-Pronged Strategy for Housing Affordability Crisis
In News by Patrick Range McDonald / Jun. 12, 2026As sky-high rents and homelessness continue to persist in California and across the United States, politicians must adopt a more dynamic, multi-pronged strategy to help poor and middle- and working-class tenants – the “trickle-down” housing

Landlords Charging Hidden Fees is a Widespread Problem for Renters
In News by Patrick Range McDonald / Jun. 04, 2026The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has recently taken up the widespread problem of landlords charging hidden fees, which sneakily increase a tenant’s monthly rent. It’s not only an issue in San Francisco, but also

Equity Residential, Essex Property Trust, and AvalonBay Communities Deliver $5.1M to California Apartment Association
In News by Patrick Range McDonald / May. 20, 2026Equity Residential, Essex Property Trust, and AvalonBay Communities – three of the largest corporate landlords in the United States – have recently delivered a whopping $5.1 million to the California Apartment Association’s Independent Expenditure Committee.
