CAA members wanting to prevent rent control from taking hold in San Diego County are urged to visit a new website — ProtectOurHousing.com.
The website comes from National City Residents for Fair & Equitable Housing, the campaign fighting the rent control initiative on National City’s Nov. 6 ballot. The California Apartment Association spearheaded the creation of the campaign.
“Measure W is a poorly written ballot measure that jeopardizes the future of National City, the website says. “The flawed Measure W will reduce the number of available rental units in National City and result in the deterioration of the homes that remain. We need to maintain and improve the quality of life in National City, not destroy it.”
Whitney Benzian, CAA’s vice president of public affairs in the San Diego region, urged members to visit ProtectOurHousing.com and join the mounting opposition to Measure W.
“We have the support of Mayor Morrison and many prominent community leaders because they understand this measure will stop all the progress National City has been making the last few years,” Benzian said.
The No on W site includes 10 reasons why voters should reject Measure W, invites visitors to join the No on W campaign and offers a portal for making financial contributions.
In early July, the San Diego County Registrar of Voters confirmed that the National City Rent Control and Community Stabilization Ordinance. had qualified for November’s ballot. The Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment had directed the signature-gathering effort to qualify the initiative.
If approved by voters, the ballot measure will create a rent board funded by annual landlord fees, cap annual rent increases based on the rate of inflation and impose “just cause” eviction policies.
“Measure W makes it very difficult to evict problem tenants,” the website against Measure W says. “Those who put the safety of their neighbors at-risk by dealing drugs or engaging in other dangerous activities will be safeguarded from evictions, degrading neighborhood quality of life.”