Trickle-down housing policy, pushed by the real estate industry and politicians, has been a colossal failure. It hasn’t built the affordable housing that’s needed for California’s housing affordability crisis, and it fuels gentrification in working-class …
Californians Can’t Afford the Rent. It’s Still Too Damn High!
After years of sky-rocketing rents in California, one thing has disturbingly remained the same: the rent is still too damn high. Recent data shows that the Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Oakland metro …
Harvard Study: Homeownership Builds Wealth for Communities of Color
In the ongoing debate over banning single-family home zoning and turning more people into renters, one major detail has been disturbingly overlooked: homeownership builds wealth for communities of color and low-income households. It’s a key …
Corporate Landlords Are Taking Over L.A. Will Politicians Do Anything About it?
A new, must-read report by Strategic Actions for a Just Economy has made one thing eye-poppingly clear: corporate landlords are taking over Los Angeles. With that, SAJE points out, L.A. renters are increasingly dealing with …
Billionaire Stephen Schwarzman, Fierce Opponent of Rent Control in California, Raked In $610.5 Mil in 2020
Billionaire Stephen Schwarzman, a fierce opponent of rent control, raked in an astounding $610.5 million from dividends and compensation last year, according to Reuters. Blackstone Group, the private equity firm co-founded and led by Schwarzman, …
Rent Control Movements Keep Gaining Momentum in U.S.
Since 2018, when Proposition 10 sought to expand rent control in California, rent control movements have only gained momentum throughout the United States. Most recently, local officials in California, Minnesota, and New Jersey have considered …
With FEMA Picking Up the Tab, Will California Lawmakers House the Homeless?
A little more than a week ago, the Biden administration made a major announcement: the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will provide 100 percent reimbursement to counties for shelter-in-place hotel costs for the unhoused. California …
U.S. Renters Paid a Staggering $4.5 Trillion to Landlords, According to Zillow
A little more than a year ago, Zillow, the real estate site, came out with an eye-popping statistic: between 2010 and 2019, renters in the United States paid landlords a staggering $4.5 trillion. That’s not …
Are You a Renter in California? Here are New Trends You’ll Want to Know
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rental housing market in California has most definitely changed. More landlords are offering specials, and rents have lowered — although those decreases started at very high price levels and …
Never Forget the Corporate Landlords Who Want All Your Money
As we head deeper into 2021, renters in California and across the nation should never forget the small but powerful group of corporate landlords who shelled out a staggering $66.5 million to kill the expansion …