California Leaders From Both Parties Agree: Deeply Flawed Prop 33 Will Make Our Housing Crisis Worse

California African American Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles Latino Equity and Diversity Initiative, California Housing Consortium and California YIMBY all join coalition opposing Prop 33

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 9, 2024

Contact: Nathan Click, nathan@click-comms.com

CALIFORNIA – Affordable housing advocates and a bipartisan coalition of local leaders across the state are once again sounding the alarm on Prop 33, the new name for the deeply flawed ballot measure that will increase housing costs and block affordable housing.

If Prop 33 seems familiar, it’s because nearly 60% of California voters rejected the same flawed scheme in 2018 and 2020. Seniors, veterans and affordable housing experts all oppose Prop 33 because it will make the housing crisis dramatically worse.

“We’re facing a severe housing and homelessness crisis, and this ballot measure will worsen it,” said Corey Smith, Executive Director of Housing Action Coalition. “It will make it harder to build affordable housing at a time when we need it most, and it will make it more difficult for people experiencing homelessness to find housing.”


Prop 33 was written and bankrolled by CEO Michael Weinstein of AHF.  The Los Angeles Times describes Weinstein as a “slumlord” with a long record of health & safety violations and unfair evictions. State housing regulators cited his residents living in “squalid conditions, exposed to roach and bedbug infestations.”

“The chief proponent of this measure, pharmaceutical executive Michael Weinstein, has a track record of not just opposing affordable housing, but of purchasing existing affordable homes — and letting them fall into a state of unsanitary and dangerous disrepair,” said Brian Hanlon, CEO of California YIMBY. 

Economists and housing experts at Stanford and UC Berkeley say Prop 33 will make California’s housing crisis significantly worse by reducing the construction of new affordable housing, giving NIMBYs new ways to block affordable housing and overturning state laws that require more affordable housing be built.  Prop 33 will make it harder to become a homeowner or find a place to rent, driving up costs for renters and home buyers. That’s why a bipartisan coalition of state leaders opposes the measure.

“Those of us who have been on the front lines trying to help Californians find safe housing they can afford know that this initiative is as deceptive as it is dangerous,” said Senate Pro Tem Emerita Toni Atkins. This initiative is one giant loophole that lets some select local governments off the hook for affordable housing and opens the door to erase every inch of progress we’ve made on housing over the last 20 years. All I can say is don’t be fooled.”

Prop 33 also takes away basic protections for homeowners and allows bureaucrats, politicians and regulators to tell single-family homeowners how much they can charge to rent out a single room.  It even overturns state laws giving homeowners the right to build an ADU.  Millions of homeowners will be treated just like corporate landlords and subject to regulations and price controls enacted by unelected boards.

For all these reasons, a growing coalition of nonprofits and local leaders are joining the coalition to reject Prop. 33. In recent days, the California African American Chamber of Commerce, California Housing Consortium, California YIMBY, Latino Heritage LA, and the Los Angeles Latino Equity and Diversity Initiative have all endorsed NO on Prop. 33 and joined the campaign to stop this deeply flawed measure.  

They join the following organizations and leaders in opposition to the measure:

Organizations

Bay Area Council

Building Industry Association, Greater Valley

California African American Chamber of Commerce

California Apartment Association

California Association of Realtors

California Black Chamber of Commerce

California Building Industry Association

California Chamber of Commerce

California Council of Carpenters

California Council for Affordable Housing

California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

California Housing Consortium

California Mortgage Bankers Association

California Senior Alliance

California Small Business Association

California YIMBY

Casita Coalition

Central City Association of Los Angeles

Community Build, Inc.

East Bay Leadership Council

Fresno Chamber of Commerce

Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce

Housing Action Coalition

Latino Heritage LA

Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce

Los Angeles County Business Federation

Los Angeles Latino Equity and Diversity Initiative

Marine Corps Veterans Association

National Diversity Coalition

North Bay Leadership Council

Orange County Business Council

Orange County Taxpayers Association

RestoreLA-CDC

Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce

Sacramento Regional Business Association

San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce

San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership

The East Los Angeles Community Union

The Two Hundred for Homeownership

United Chambers of Commerce of the San Fernando Valley

West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce

Western Manufactured Housing Association

Women Veterans Alliance

Public Officials

Senate President Pro Tem Emeritus Toni Atkins

Senator Susan Rubio

Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco

Assemblymember Joe Patterson

Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez

Assemblymember Blanca Rubio

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks

Madera County Supervisor Jordan Wamhoff

Sacramento County Supervisor Rich Desmond

Sacramento County Supervisor Pat Hume

San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson

San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond

Alisa Viejo Mayor Mike Munzing

Brea Mayor Pro Tem Blair Stewart

Burbank City Councilmember Zizette Mullins

Carlsbad Mayor Keith Blackburn

Carlsbad City Councilmember Melanie Burkholder

Chula Vista Mayor John McCann

Coalinga City Councilmember Nathan Vosburg

Covina City Councilmember Patty Cortez

Fresno City Councilmember Garry Bredefeld

Fullerton Mayor Nick Dunlap

Glendale City Councilmember Vartan Gharpetian

Glendale City Councilmember Ara Najarian

Lake Forest Councilmember Benjamin Yu

La Mesa City Councilmember Colin Parent

La Puente City Councilmember Argudo

Montclair City Councilmember Bill Ruh

Newport Beach City Councilmember Erik Weigand

Orange City Councilmember Jon Dumitru

Orange City Councilmember Kathy Tavoularis

Poway Deputy Mayor Caylin Frank

Poway City Councilmember Brian Pepin

Sacramento City Councilmember Elect Phil Pluckebaum

San Clemente City Councilmember Steve Knoblock

San Diego City Councilmember Chris Cate (ret.)

San Juan Capistrano City Councilmember Howard Hart

San Jose City Councilmember Dev Davis

San Jose City Councilmember Pam Foley

San Marcos City Councilmember Mike Sannella

Stockton City Councilmember Michael Blower

Sunnyvale City Councilmember Russ Melton