A broad coalition is backing a tenant protection bill in the California Legislature, but business and real estate interests are winning so far. The proposal would require landlords to keep units for at least five years before using a state law to evict renters. Supporters say it would help preserve affordable housing amid a historic shortage…
…More than 27,000 rent-controlled units have been removed in Los Angeles since 2001 using the Ellis Act, while San Francisco has lost about 5,000 units since then. And they’re sorely needed: the California Housing Partnership estimates 1.2 million low-income renter households don’t have access to an affordable home, and building a new government-subsidized unit costs an average of $500,000.