2024 California Proposition 33

Proposition 33, titled Expands Local Governments’ Authority to Enact Rent Control on Residential Property, and also marketed as the "Justice for Renters Act", was a California ballot proposition and initiative statute in the 2024 general election that would have repealed the Costa–Hawkins Rental Housing Act and allowed localities to enact rent control on single-family homes, apartments built after 1995, and to control rent increases between tenancies (vacancy control), all currently banned by Costa-Hawkins. It would also have prohibited the state from limiting local rent control.^[1]

Proposition 33

November 5, 2024 (2024-11-05)
Expands Local Governments’ Authority to Enact Rent Control on Residential Property
Results
Choice Votes  % Yes 3,861,352 38.57% No 6,149,550 61.43%
No   70-80%   60-70%   50-60%

It was sponsored and primarily funded by AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which contributed $47 million of the total $50 million in support funding.^[2][3] It was opposed by the California Apartment Association and the California Association of Realtors who contributed $100 million of the $125 million in opposition funding.^[2][3] It failed to pass, 62% to 38%, a margin almost identical to that by which the previous two rent control initiatives sponsored by AIDS Healthcare Foundation also failed, 2018 California Proposition 10 and 2020 California Proposition 21.^[3][4][5]

Support

The official support statement of the proposition argues that "The rent is too damn high. One million people have left California. Rent control in America has worked to keep people in their homes since 1919. California’s 17 million renters need relief. Homeowners and taxpayers benefit from stable communities. The California dream is dying. You can help save it."^[6]

Supporters

State officials

• Betty Yee, former California State Controller^[7]

U.S. Senators

• Bernie Sanders, senator from Vermont^[8]

State legislators

• Tina McKinnor, state assemblywoman from the 61st district^[9]

Local officials

• Los Angeles City Council^[10]
• Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors^[11]
• San Francisco Board of Supervisors^[10]

Political parties

• California Democratic Party^[12]
• Green Party of California^[13]
• Peace and Freedom Party^[14]

Organizations

• ACLU of Southern California^[15]
• AIDS Healthcare Foundation^[6]
• Americans for Democratic Action - Southern California^[16]
• California Nurses Association^[17]
• Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights^[18]
• Housing is a Human Right^[18]
• Social Security Works - California^[19]
• Veterans' Voices^[1]

Opposition

The official oppositional statement of the proposition argues, "Don’t be fooled by the latest corporate landlord anti-housing scheme. California voters have rejected this radical proposal twice before, because it would freeze the construction of new housing and could effectively reverse dozens of new state housing laws. Vote No on 33 to protect new affordable housing and California homeowners."^[6]

Opponents

State officials

• Eleni Kounalakis, lieutenant governor of California^[7]

State legislators

• Toni Atkins, state senator from the 39th district and former president pro tempore^[7]
• Buffy Wicks, state assemblywoman from the 14th district^[20]

Local officials

• Placer County Board of Supervisors^[21]

Political parties

• Libertarian Party of California^[22]
• Republican Party of California^[23]

Newspapers

• Los Angeles Times^[24]

Organizations

• Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles^[25]
• California Apartment Association^[26]
• California Business Roundtable^[27]
• California Chamber of Commerce^[28]
• California YIMBY^[29]
• Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association^[30]
• Norcal Carpenters Union^[20]
• United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America^[20]

Polling

Date of opinion poll	Conducted by	Sample size[a]	Margin of error	In favor	Against	Undecided
July 31 – August 11, 2024[31]	UC Berkeley IGS	3,765 (LV)	± 2%	40%	34%	26%
September 12 – September 25, 2024[32]	CSU Long Beach, University of Southern California, Cal Poly Pomona	1,685 (LV)	± 2.4%	37.1%	33.3%	29.6%

1. Key:
   A – all adults
   RV – registered voters
   LV – likely voters
   V – unclear

Results

The proposition failed, with 3,861,352 voters (38.6%) voting "yes" and 6,149,550 voters (61.4%) voting "no."

See also

• 2020 California Proposition 21
• 2024 California Proposition 34
• 2024 United States ballot measures
• List of California ballot propositions