Editorial: Solving California’s Housing Issues
Editorial: Solving California’s Housing Issues
By Mike Newhouse, Candidate for California State Senate District 24
As we are all aware, California’s affordability crisis is forcing both renters and housing providers alike to the brink. Meaningful solutions require a balanced and practical approach. As a candidate for State Senate, an attorney who represents housing providers, and as a housing provider myself, I am committed to advancing policies that expand housing supply, cutting unnecessary red tape, and ensuring those who provide housing can continue to do so.
I believe that starts with incentivizing and allowing housing providers, like you and me, to not only build the housing California needs, free of unnecessary red tape, but to also champion laws that allow us to provide housing (most of which is already under rent control) without being so burdened by additional costs and legal exposure that it gives us no other choice but to get out of the business entirely. At the end of the day… that only hurts both landlords and tenants.
To that end, it is important to note that I am, by definition, PRO-TENANT just as much as I am PRO-LANDLORD. What does that mean? As a 25-year attorney and real estate broker, representing mostly small to midsize “Mom-and-Pop” landlords – and as a housing provider and landlord myself who worked his way through college as a carpenter and has acted as general contractor for my own projects – I know all too well that many of us are leaving the rental housing business because it has simply become more and more untenable to operate at a profit. It’s a simple equation; housing providers leaving the business equals less high-quality affordable housing for tenants.
So, in short, what do I stand for?
I stand for preserving the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act to protect vacancy de-control (the right to increase rent to market when there’s a vacancy) and respecting the thoroughly negotiated compromises in Assembly Bill 1482, our state rent control law (not insignificantly, called The Tenant Protection Act of 2019). I support requiring landlords to provide habitable spaces, but providing a reasonable right to cure period before lawsuits can be filed. I also strongly support preserving Proposition 13 and expanding exemptions for property tax assessments under Proposition 19. And, I oppose burdensome real estate transfer taxes such as Measure ULA and a “split-roll” property tax system that would assess residential and commercial properties differently.
In short, I am a strong supporter of common-sense compromises that allow housing providers like you to make a reasonable profit, while providing renters with clean, safe, and reasonably priced places to live. I hope you’ll help support my campaign and send me to Sacramento to fight for common sense and regulatory balance… not only for us, but for the everyday Californians who rely on good providers like you to offer high-quality rental housing at fair and reasonable rents.
Editor’s Note: Please be sure to support Mike Newhouse for State Senate (District 24) by contributing to his campaign and also be sure to vote for Mike Newhouse by June 2nd. Mike is endorsed by the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, and he is also a member – he’s one of our own. Please vote by June 2nd and support his campaign here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/michael-newhouse-1. For more information, contact Mike’s campaign at (310) 795-3768 or go to www.Newhouse4CA.com.