In the last week Governor Brown has pushed a plan quickly through the California state budget process that will cut community voice out of neighborhood housing policy. The California Budget Conference Committee is hearing Trailer Bill 707--"By-Right Development" today. A decision is likely to be made today whether to move the proposal forward, and we need you to take action now.
Tenants Together and member organizations have identified several ways cutting out public input could harm renters. The Governor's proposal would:
Increase development of market-rate housing without additional tenant protections against displacement;
Bypass community benefits agreements process where community groups are able to get developers to build more affordable housing;
Lead to potential demolition of rent-controlled homes because projects would bypass the public approval process.
We can't let the state take away community power to make local decisions about our neighborhoods and strip away tenant protections. Read more in the letter Tenants Together has signed on to with a broad coalition of grassroots groups including Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, Courage Campaign, Public Advocates, Gamaliel of California, PICO California, and Right to the City Alliance.
Call these decision-makers to stop this proposal in its tracks. If you can't call all of them, at least call the ones in bold:
