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HOUSING - Housing Is A Human Right has found that a group of 11 corporate landlords, including Essex Property Trust and Blackstone, is overwhelmingly funding the No on Prop 33 and Yes on Prop 34 campaigns in California. The 11 companies have contributed 79.7 percent of all recent campaign contributions to the California Apartment Association Issues Committee, which then distributes corporate landlord cash to No on Prop 33 and Yes on Prop 34.
Housing Is A Human Right first reported, in May, that 10 of the largest corporate landlords in the United States are banding together to kill Proposition 33, which aims to end rent control restrictions in California, and pass Proposition 34, a revenge initiative to stop AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s housing advocacy work on rent control and other tenant rights. AIDS Healthcare Foundation and its housing advocacy division, Housing Is A Human Right, are sponsoring Prop 33.
Those 10 corporate landlords include Greystar, AvalonBay Communities, Equity Residential, The Related Companies, Essex Property Trust, UDR, Camden Property Trust, GID, MG Properties, and AIR Communities, a company owned by Blackstone Group.
They have contributed millions to the California Apartment Association Issues Committee – the CAA is the top lobbying group for corporate landlords. Carrying out a kind of shell game, the CAA Issues Committee then moves corporate landlord money to No on 33 – Californians for Responsible Housing sponsored by the California Apartment Association and Yes on 34 – Protect Patients Now sponsored by the California Apartment Association.
Earlier this year, Housing Is A Human Right first reported about this shell game, which tries to help corporate landlords avoid scrutiny by voters and reporters. It’s especially problematic for corporate landlords to be publicly connected to Yes on 34, which seeks to silence AHF’s housing advocacy work.
In a new review of state filings, Housing Is A Human Right has found that 11 corporate landlords have contributed a whopping $40,851,534 to the California Apartment Association Issues Committee. In total, the CAA Issues Committee has raised $51,216,706. The CAA Issues Committee then delivers corporate landlord money to No on Prop 33 and Yes on Prop 34.
The 11 contributors are, in order, Essex Property Trust ($11,159,500 sent to the CAA Issues Committee); Equity Residential ($8 million); AvalonBay Communities ($7,264,500); UDR ($2,956,310); Prometheus Real Estate Group ($2,751,500); Prime Administration ($2 million); AIR Communities/Blackstone Group ($1,884,975); R & V Management ($1,315,700); Carmel Partners ($1,239,000); Jackson Square Properties ($1,154,550); and Spieker Companies ($1,125,499).
In all, those 11 corporate landlords have delivered 79.7 percent of total contributions to the CAA Issues Committee in 2023 and 2024.
The corporate landlords are determined to stop Prop 33 and pass Prop 34 because they believe that the end of rent control restrictions in California will result in cities passing expanded rent control policies. If that happens, the corporate landlords will no longer be able to generate billions in revenue by charging wildly inflated rents. AHF has been a leading proponent of rent control in California, so the corporate landlords are also targeting the global nonprofit to protect their massive profits.
But AHF isn’t the only organization that supports the end of rent control restrictions in California. The Yes on Prop 33 campaign is backed by a statewide coalition of housing justice groups, labor unions, social justice groups, and civic leaders, including the California Democratic Party, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, and labor and civil rights icon Dolores Huerta.
They are all urging Californians to vote “yes” on Prop 33, which will help to stabilize the housing affordability crisis for seniors, veterans, and families – and will finally rein in the predatory business practices of corporate landlords.
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(Patrick Range McDonald, author and journalist, Best Activism Journalism: Los Angeles Press Club, Journalist of the Year: Los Angeles Press Club, Public Service Award: Association of Alternative Newsmedia, advocacy journalist for Housing is a Human Right, and a contributor to CityWatch.)
