Report: Poll Finds Nearly Half Of Voters Oppose Prop. 10 Expanding Rent Control
If the California elections were held today, nearly half of likely voters would vote against Proposition 10, the repeal of the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, according to a poll by the Public Policy Institute of California. The passage of Prop. 10 would expand local authority to enact rent control across the state.
The survey released last week found 48% of likely voters would vote against repealing Costa-Hawkins; 36% would vote yes and 16% are undecided.
The Public Policy Institute of California is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank.
The nonprofit surveyed more than 1,700 likely voters across the five major regions in the state — San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles County, Orange and San Diego counties, Inland Empire and the Central Valley — on how they would vote on several issues on the ballot, including the candidates in the governor's and state Senate race, the repeal of the gas tax and expansion of rent control.
With the election a month away, the statewide survey on the rent control issue comes against the backdrop of a housing crisis, soaring multifamily rent and lack of affordable options.
Passed in 1995, the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act limits cities from enacting rent control on single-family homes, condominiums and apartments built after 1995. In rent-controlled buildings, the law also allows for landlords to put rent-controlled units to market rate after a tenant vacates the unit.
More than half of Republican and independent voters would vote no on the measure, while Democrats are divided (46% yes, 43% no), according to the survey.
Regionally, Los Angeles has the highest support for Prop. 10 with 45% of likely voters polled planning to vote yes on repealing Costa-Hawkins. However, 45% of voters polled in Los Angeles also would vote no.
Half of voters in San Francisco and Inland Empire would vote no.
Across demographic groups, 51% of 18- to 34-year-olds would likely vote for Prop. 10, the survey found.
