Supporters of Victorious Rent Control Measure H Celebrate Victory

Supporters of Measure H, the city’s new rent control measure passed by almost 54% of the vote last month, celebrated its passage and certification by the City Council at a City Hall press conference Monday and pushed for its near-immediate implementation, while City officials were not ready to say when key parts of the amendment would be put in place. 

The new City Charter amendment provides rent control and protections against evictions.

The City Council adopted a resolution to certify the election results on Monday night.

According to the Pasadena Tenants Union, which organized the campaign effort that got the initiative on the November ballot, Measure H provisions become effective December 22, ten days after the City Council certification. 

At the press conference, organizers also touted a rent rollback they said takes effect Jan. 1, however City officials said Monday that the Rental Housing Board which will manage the new law will not be in place by that time.

“Last month, Pasadena voters passed Measure H, the Pasadena Fair and Equitable Housing Charter Amendment,” the City statement said. “Measure H assigns powers and duties necessary to ‘administer and enforce’ the provisions of the Charter Amendment to the Pasadena Rental Housing Board.”

“City Staff will be preparing an informational update for the City Council at a January meeting, discussing the status of organizing the Board. The public will be invited to provide feedback at that time. The update will discuss the charter amendment as a whole, the appointment process for the rental housing board, and practical considerations for the Council,” the City statement said.

By law, the organizers of the initiative are not responsible for the rollout or enforcement of the initiative. 

“I was honored to be one of the early endorsers of the campaign and to work alongside residents to get out the vote,” Councilmember Jess Rivas told the gathering Monday. 

“Now I look forward,” she continued,  “to continuing to work with residents and City staff to ensure the smooth implementation of sorely needed rent control and eviction protections for our City.”

“It’s really happening,” she told the gathered crowd. “Today is the day.”

Measure H was placed on the ballot through 15,000 voter signatures, was written by local tenants, homeowners, and public interest attorneys experienced in tenant law, and is one of the only citizen’s initiatives in recent Pasadena history. 

“The Pasadena fair and Equitable Housing Charter amendment was approved by the voters and is the law of our city,” said District 7 Councilmember Jason Lyon. “Now begins the work of making the program a reality. This is a groundbreaking initiative for Pasadena. We can expect to encounter some challenges in getting started. As an incoming Councilman, I am committed to working with City staff to realize the people’s will as soon as possible.”

Council will return on Jan. 9 it is not known if Measure H will be included on that agenda.

The initiative will “limit rent adjustments in the City of Pasadena annually to 75% of the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for multifamily rental units built before February 1, 1995,” according to the Council resolution, and “prohibit evictions from rental units, except for just cause based on 11 specified criteria, and create an independent Rental Housing Board appointed by the City Council to oversee and adopt rules and regulations.”

“It’s a new day in Pasadena, truly,” said campaign organizer Ryan Bell. 

“This guarantees the security and safety of our tenants, that they don’t have to move if they don’t want to, and that they have the freedom and the right to stay put.”

The amendment also states that “No Landlord shall take action to terminate any tenancy, or endeavor to recover possession of a Rental Unit, including but not limited to making a demand for possession of a Rental Unit, threatening to terminate a tenancy orally or in writing, serving any Written Notice to Cease or other eviction notice, or bringing any action to recover possession, or be granted recovery of possession of a Rental Unit,” except in the case of failure to pay rent of other breach of lease.

Union Station Homeless Services CEO Anne Miskey also voiced her support of the amendment’s passage, telling the crowd, “This was an incredible example of a community coming together to support a diverse and vibrant community. The sad fact is that more people fall into homelesses every day than we can house…the reason people are losing their homes and living on our streets is because of the cost of rent in our community,  and unjust and unfair evictions.”

Measure H passed with nearly 54% of the vote margin and faced opposition from some of the largest corporate landlords in the country, including the California Apartment Association and the National and California Associations of Realtors. 

The opposition spent approximately $450,000 against the measure. Organizers raised $350,000 from foundations, unions and $79,000 in small-dollar donations from nearly 700 individual donors.

More than 600 knocked on over 42,000 doors and called more than 29,000 voters. 

More information on the new charter amendment is available here