Proposed by the Social Justice–Housing Committee and recommended by the Board for member approval on June 3, 2021:
The League of Women Voters Pasadena Area believes that affordable, safe, decent, and stable housing is critical to healthy communities and is a foundation for social justice. “Affordable” is defined as 30% of a household’s income.
In California the costs of housing have increased far more rapidly than incomes. This imbalance has led to the crisis of homelessness and housing insecurity. A community should ensure that an adequate supply of affordable housing is available for all its residents. This includes providing for existing residents, as well providing for population growth, to house all workers—from grocery clerks to brain surgeons, service sector employees, public safety employees, teachers, and other professionals, as well as seniors and persons with disabilities.
We support the use of all available government regulations, programs, and funds to meet housing needs including but not limited to:
i. Elimination of illegal discrimination in housing;
ii. Rehabilitation and/or replacement of existing structures without displacement of low- and moderate-income households by gentrification;
iii. A broad housing element/component in each city’s general plan based on study of housing problems and including an action plan for solving them that will achieve a socio-economically balanced community;
iv. Compliance from our area communities with State law requiring every city to provide a fair share of low- and moderate-income housing;
v. Inclusionary zoning regulations [which require setting aside a certain percentage of housing units at below-market rates for low- and moderate-income persons in new and substantially renovated rental and owner developments and condominium conversions] for each city that include incentives for developers built into the program, as well as the state-mandated density bonuses; and
vi. The economic integration of affordable housing units into all neighborhoods of a community.
We support the use of existing rules and the development of new tools to increase housing stability for renters in our area, recognizing the differences between large and small landlords and other relevant distinctions, such as:
i. Stabilization of rents;
ii. Adoption of just-cause eviction protections that set forth the rights and responsibilities of both tenants and landlords;
iii. Guaranteed provision of legal or other representation in landlord-tenant court;
iv. Keeping recourse to vacancy taxes in the event that demand for housing is high and vacancies are also high, suggesting that rents are too expensive;
v. Adoption of measures to ensure safe and healthy living environments in each jurisdiction’s housing inventory; and
Other tools, such as permanent supportive housing, to address this housing concern.
