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The bill awaits its future, as it’s set to be voted on in the Assembly Judiciary Committee
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California lawmakers are once again confronting the hot topic of rent control as a bill proposing a permanent statewide rent cap heads to a key legislative vote, reigniting debate over how best to address the state’s affordability crisis.
Assembly Bill 1157, authored by Democratic Assemblymember Ash Kalra of San Jose, is scheduled for a vote Tuesday in the Assembly Judiciary Committee. If approved, the bill would advance to the Appropriations Committee and eventually the Assembly floor.
Supporters rallied Monday on the West Steps of the state Capitol, sharing personal stories of financial strain and housing insecurity as they urged lawmakers to back the Affordable Rent Act.
The measure would lower California’s current rent cap from 10% to 5% annually, or 2% plus inflation, whichever is lower, and make the limit permanent. It would also expand rent cap protections to single-family homes, which are currently exempt under the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 — a law set to sunset in 2030.
“The affordable housing crisis didn’t occur overnight,” Kalra said at the rally, calling his bill the solution.
He called on his colleagues to act upon their promises.
Kalra argues the 2019 law did not go far enough to protect tenants, particularly as rents have continued to rise amid pandemic-era disruptions and a tight housing market.
“That was seven years ago,” Kalra said, referring to the passage of the Tenant Protection Act. and its temporary nature. “We had a pandemic. We saw the housing market get tougher and tougher. The reality is it’s tougher now than it has ever been to be a tenant in California.”
Opponents, however, warn the proposal could worsen California’s housing shortage by discouraging new construction. They argue a permanent cap is extensive, especially when rent control at the local level already exists.
“Rent control discourages new housing construction,” said Debra Carlton of the California Apartment Association, which opposes the bill. She argued rent caps offer only temporary relief to current tenants while reducing incentives to build new housing.
Debates over rent control were similarly contentious in 2019, when lawmakers agreed to exemptions and a sunset date as part of the compromise that led to passage of the Tenant Protection Act. That agreement also required the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office to study the impacts of rent caps — a report that has not yet been released, when we checked in with LAO.
Housing affordability remains a central issue at the Capitol, with both Democrats and Republicans calling it a top priority this legislative year. State leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, have emphasized policies aimed at reducing barriers to housing construction and increasing supply.
A spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas declined to comment on the pending legislation but noted the speaker’s support for reforms designed to speed up housing production. According to Politico, AB 1157 was not among the housing bills Rivas publicly backed last year.
Kalra maintains that streamlining alone is not enough to help families struggling right now.
“It was a wonderful year in terms of housing production,” he said. “Now it’s time for us to look at the families that can’t wait for that housing to be built.”
If approved by the Judiciary Committee, AB 1157 would continue through the legislative process in the coming weeks, setting up what is expected to be one of the most closely watched housing battles of the year.
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