We Support Measure CC for Increased Housing Affordability
Vice Mayor & Councilmember Susan Wengraf, District 6
Councilmember Mark Humbert, District 8
Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani, District 1
Councilmember Laurie Capitelli (Ret.), District 5
Ballot Arguments & Op Eds
Alameda County Voter Guide - Argument in Favor of Measure CC
Vote Yes on Measure CC, the Berkeley Rent Relief and Homeowners Protection Act!
The lack of housing affordability in Berkeley has reached an all-time high. Building new housing takes time and it isn’t affordable for everyone. Berkeley needs housing options now.
Preventing tenants from being displaced due to unexpected life events helps keep people off the streets. Berkeley needs a permanent rent relief fund for tenants in need.
Measure CC addresses both these needs:
- It increases the availability and affordability of housing by encouraging small landlords to rent their homes to other community members.
- It provides a permanent rent assistance fund to help tenants pay rent, stay housed, and avoid homelessness.
Increases Affordable Housing Supply and Availability
Measure CC increases the supply of available housing in Berkeley by encouraging community members with duplexes and single-family homes to rent them out to other community members.
It’s a fact. When we increase housing supply, rents go down.
We need to make it easier (not more complex) for small owners to rent available units. Duplex owners who live in close proximity with their tenant need to know they can end the relationship if something goes wrong.
A homeowner needs to know they can move back to their rented home without having to pay the tenant a $25,000 relocation fee.
Measure CC establishes a permanent rent relief fund
Many renters are just one disruption away from not paying their rent. During COVID, almost 1,000 renters were able to stay in their homes using rent relief. But then money ran out.
Measure CC establishes a permanent rent relief fund using existing tax revenue from big landlords. It will keep people housed when unforeseen life events prevent them from paying rent.
Get the facts at www.RealBerkeleyRentRelief.org. Vote Yes on Measure CC!
Berkeleyside Opinion Editorial
Measure CC: The Right Choice for Berkeley’s Housing Affordability Crisis
Housing affordability in Berkeley has hit an unprecedented low. To meet the state's Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) targets, the city must build 1,100 new housing units annually over an 8-year period[1]. While the increasing development in downtown Berkeley might suggest progress toward this goal, the reality is different. Most of the 1,728 units added since 2022[2]are designated as "market-rate" rentals, leaving a significant gap in affordable housing options. RHNA divides housing needs into four affordability levels that Berkeley must address: Very Low, Low, Moderate, and Above-Moderate income levels.
How can Berkeley meet these housing needs when current interest rates and high construction costs are causing a slowdown in production? A solution to this urgent problem exists and it can be found in Measure CC.
After World War II, there was a surge in housing as basements, attics, and garages were converted into livable spaces. Homeowners were encouraged to create these units to accommodate returning soldiers and their families. Many of these units still exist today, serving various purposes such as caregiver accommodations or guest spaces for visiting family. However, not enough of them are made available as rental units.
Over time, owners of these units have expressed increasing concerns about their limited ability to use the space flexibly. That is because under current rental laws, owners are not allowed to terminate a tenancy at the end of a lease term. This prevents them from offering the unit to tenants when it's available, but then reclaiming it for personal use when needed. This restriction is particularly burdensome for owners who live on-site with their tenants as they are more likely to have personal reasons to need to use that secondary unit.
Single-family homeowners are also hesitant to rent out their homes as they fear the potential $27,000 relocation fee required to reoccupy the property after being away for couple of years. This all stems from Berkeley's strong tenant protection laws which although undoubtedly protect tenants, have an unintended consequence of constricting housing supply.
All of this leads to lack of flexibility for personal use of secondary units and places Berkeley at a critical crossroads. It's evident that we can't simply build our way out of the affordability crisis, nor can we rely on owners to offer available units without providing some form of incentive for them.
Measure CC eases rent regulations for owner-occupied two-unit properties and single-family homes. If an owner and a prospective tenant agree on a lease term that suits both parties, there should be no barrier to this arrangement. Allowing for more flexibility for small owner, we can look to community members that can boost Berkeley’s housing supply. And while rent stabilization benefits current tenants, the shortage of affordable housing is what keeps new residents from finding a place in Berkeley. Measure CC will provide more affordable options for newcomers to the rental market.
Vote YES ON MEASURE CC for creative and conscientious housing solutions!
Authored by Laurie Capitelli, Berkeley City Councilmember (Ret.)
[1]Final Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) Plan; San Francisco Bay Area, 2023-2031. Association of Bay Area Governments. November 2022, pg. 25. https://abag.ca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2022-12/Final%20RHNA%20Methodology%20Report%202023-2031_update_11-22.pdf
[2]Housing Element Implementation and APR Data Dashboard; California Department of Housing and Community Development, accessed December 2022.
Paid for by Yes on Measure CC/No on Measure BB, Berkeley Rental Housing Coalition
Sponsored by Berkeley Property Owners Association, FPPC #13795546
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