Measure CC would enshrine in Santa Ana’s charter the rent stabilization and "just cause" eviction ordinance already in place. The measure caps rent increases at 3% per year or 80% of the change in the consumer price index, whichever is less.

Official title on the ballot: Measure CC

Understanding Measure CC

The intent behind Measure CC is to have Santa Ana residents vote on the rent control measure the city council passed three years ago and amended in late 2022.

The history behind it

In 2021, Santa Ana became the first and only city in Orange County to adopt a rent control ordinance. The ordinance capped annual rent increases at 3% or 80% of the change in the consumer price index, whichever is less.

The ordinance also made it illegal to evict a renter without "just cause." Some of the just cause reasons to evict include:

• Failing to pay rent
• Violating a material term of the lease (after being given a written notice to correct the violation)
• Committing or permitting a nuisance
• Criminal activity or criminal threat
• Intent to occupy the property by the owner or owner's immediate family
• Withdrawing the property from the rental market for at least two years
• A government order regarding habitability of the property
• Intent to demolish or substantially remodel

Under state law, single-family homes and apartments built after 1995 are exempt.

State law also trumps local law in terms of restrictions on rent increases for mobile homes — currently, no more than 3% annually plus the percentage change in the cost of living, or 5%, whichever is less. Long-term rentals (more than a year), new mobile home parks and new spaces are exempt.

You can learn more about Santa Ana's rent stabilization and just cause eviction ordinance on the city's dedicated webpage here.

How it would work

If voters adopt the ballot measure, the city's rent control and just cause eviction rules could only be changed by voters. The city council would not be able to change the ordinance without voter approval.

If voters do not adopt the ballot measure, the city's existing rent control and just cause eviction rules will remain in place. But they could be changed with a majority vote by the current city council or a future city council.

What people who support it say

Supporters say the city's rent control ordinance has worked to protect renters from predatory landlords and keep residents in their homes, especially low-income families, mobile home residents, and seniors on fixed incomes.

The official argument in support of Measure CC is signed by councilmembers Thai Viet Pham and Jonathan Ryan Hernandez, O.C. Supervisor and former Santa Ana Mayor Vicente Sarmiento, Richard Walker, directing attorney at the Public Law Center, and Mextli Lopez, a counselor with Tenants United Santa Ana.

What people who oppose it say

Opponents say the measure will lead to a decline in the quality of housing in Santa Ana, and puts vulnerable residents at risk by making it harder for landlords to evict potentially dangerous neighbors. They also say requiring voters to approve changes to the city's rent control ordinance will be expensive (because it would have to be put on a future ballot), and make it difficult to implement fixes.

The official argument in opposition to Measure CC is signed by Councilmember Phil Bacerra, former Mayor Miguel Pulido, Patricia Wenskunas, who's the founder of the organization Crime Survivors, and Donna Nguyen, who's a local property manager.

Potential financial impact

Opponents argue the measure will provoke lawsuits, potentially costing the city money.

Follow the money

As of early September, two mobile home industry groups had poured some $75,000 into opposing the rent control measure. The California Association of Realtors had donated another $49,000 to the opposition committee.

Further reading

• Santa Ana's official city ballot measure resources page
• Santa Ana's official rent stabilization and just cause eviction page
• The "No on Measure CC" website

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