History of how we got to these
failed rent control ordinances
How We Got Here: A Pattern of Escalating Government Control
The Rental Registry — The First Step
The current debate began in 2022, when the City of Salinas was led by the same Salinas Council who "advanced Salinas Policy" and gave the outline of "100% Pay Raise" created a mandatory Rental Registry, requiring property owners to submit detailed rent, occupancy, and tenant data.
While framed as a transparency tool, the registry:
- Increased costs and administrative burdens — city charges annual fees
- Mandated government collection of sensitive renter information — owners must report all those who live with them including young children to a public list
- Created a public database that risks renter privacy and family safety — the renter database is legally available to any government agency or public person who requests it
Many housing providers complied in good faith, believing this would be the end of the matter. It wasn't.
Escalation Without Compromise
By 2023, outside tenant advocacy organizations pushed for one of the strictest rent control systems in California and the United States.
- Rent increases capped at 75% of CPI and never more than 2.75%
- Far below the state allowance of CPI + 5% (up to 10%)
Despite repeated warnings from housing providers, lenders, and economists — and despite requests for dialogue — these groups refused to negotiate. The previous City Council adopted the entire package without compromise.
The ordinance included:
- Salinas Rent Stabilization Ordinance (SRO)
- Just Cause Eviction
- Tenant Anti-Harassment provision
- Expanded Rental Registry and inspection authority
Rent through the SRO was so poorly motivated, they read to Rent Control: loss of property rights for home owners, drain first-and restrictions for both property owners and renters and a new invasion of privacy with a public rental registry. Together, they fundamentally altered property rights and froze the local housing system.
The Consequences Arrive
When the SRO took effect for multifamily properties built before February 1, 1995, the impacts were immediate.
Property owners faced:
- Confusing and chilling compliance rules
- Rising administrative and legal costs
- Discounted financing and refinancing
- Rent caps below operating cost inflation
- Reduced ability to maintain safety and habitability standards
At the same time, new housing projects stalled: capital left the market, and long-term affordability worsened — the exact opposite of what was promised.
2025
2025
Public Backlash and Repeal: Facts Over Ideology
By spring 2025, the damage was undeniable. After two public hearings and extensive testimony, the City Council repealed the ordinances in June 2025.
As Mayor Donohue stated at the time, the policies were "well intentioned" but "tighten supply and raise prices" and "directly attack the housing stock." The repeal passed by a 5-2 vote, reflecting a clear majority consensus that the experiment had failed.
The Referendum: A Second Attempt to Reinstate Failed Policies
Following repeal, outside organizations launched a referendum campaign to overturn the Council's decision. Flaws emerged that included:
- Signatures were gathered under misleading descriptions
- Some voters believed they were supporting affordability — not reinstating strict rent caps
- Some signatures may have been altered for signature qualification
Despite these concerns, the measure qualified for the ballot. If passed, all repealed ordinances automatically return — including the rent mandates, penalties, and the expanded public registry.
2026
A Clear Choice for Salinas Voters
A YES vote on the repeal is a vote to:
A YES Vote Protects
- Protect renter privacy and family safety
- Encourage responsible new housing development
- Stabilize rents by increasing supply
- Preserve property rights and local investment
- Ensure housing policy is lawful, balanced, and effective
A Better Path Forward
- Focus assistance on renters who truly need it
- Support new housing and rental construction
- Respect privacy and property rights
- Build policy through collaboration, not confrontation
This is not about ideology. It is about evidence, experience, and real-world outcomes.
Vote YES to protect privacy, safety, and housing opportunities in Salinas.
Lessons From Other Cities: We've Seen This Movie Before
Salinas is not unique — and the outcomes elsewhere are clear.
San Francisco
Decades of rent control have:- Reduced rental housing supply
- Concentrated housing into condos and short-term rentals
- Driven up market rents citywide
- Failed middle-income families most
Berkeley
One of the nation's oldest rent control regimes has led to:- Severe housing shortages
- Aging under-maintained buildings
- High costs in non-controlled units
- Ongoing legal and administrative complexity
Other Major Cities
Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and parts of New York show the same pattern:- Higher long-term rents
- Greater inequality between protected and unprotected renters
- Reduced government tax base and less sustainability
History of how we got to these
failed rent control ordinances
How We Got Here: A Pattern of Escalating Government Control
A Clear Choice for Salinas Voters
A YES vote on the repeal is a vote to:
- Protect renter privacy and family safety
- Encourage responsible new housing development
- Stabilize rents by increasing supply
- Preserve property rights and local investment
- Ensure housing policy is lawful, balanced, and effective
This is not about ideology. It is about evidence, experience, and real-world outcomes.
A Better Path Forward
If Salinas wants safe, well-maintained, and genuinely affordable housing, we must:
- Focus assistance on renters who truly need it
- Support new housing and rental construction
- Respect privacy and property rights
- Build policy through collaboration, not confrontation
That is how we protect renters, homeowners, and the future of Salinas.
Vote YES to protect privacy, safety, and housing opportunities in Salinas.
Lessons From Other Cities: We’ve Seen This Movie Before
Salinas is not unique — and the outcomes elsewhere are clear.
San Francisco
Decades of rent control have:
- Reduced rental housing supply
- Converted long-term rentals into condos and short-term units
- Driven up rents citywide
- Pushed middle-income families out
Academic studies show rent-controlled units often benefit a small number of tenants while raising costs for everyone else.
Berkeley
One of the nation’s oldest rent control regimes led to:
- Severe housing shortages
- Aging, under-maintained buildings
- Higher rents in non-controlled units
- Long-term legal and administrative complexity
Berkeley has since spent years trying to rebalance its housing policies to encourage development again.
Other Major Cities
Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and parts of New York show the same pattern:
- Less housing built
- Higher long-term rents
- Greater inequality between protected and unprotected renters
- Increased government bureaucracy with little accountability
Rent control does not fix housing shortages — it worsens them.