Mayor Darrell Steinberg came out Thursday against an effort to put rent control on the ballot in Sacramento this November.
“Their initiative is a threat,” Steinberg said. “If it got on the ballot and it passed, I think that would be a problem.”
Housing advocates and labor groups have been gathering signatures to put a renter protections measure in front of voters this fall.
If it qualifies, the initiative would limit the amount landlords can increase the rent. It would also enact a housing board and force property owners to pay relocation assistance if tenants are evicted without cause.
The mayor says housing affordability is a real problem in Sacramento. But rent control is not the answer.
“While well intended, I think it is over-written and would have the unintended consequence of harming our desperate need to increase the supply of housing,” Steinberg said.
The petitioners must submit signatures by June 20 to qualify for the ballot.