Renters in California may finally find some relief from lawmakers in Sacramento.
Several bills are being considered by the state legislature, including one that would double the state income tax credit for renters. Another bill would make it harder for landlords to evict tenants, making them give renters up to a year's notice to evict.
A third bill is being offered that would force landlords to show "just cause" or reasonable reason, before trying to force tenants out.
San Francisco Assemblyman David Chiu says the legislation would bring help to renters who have faced "unprecedented hardships" and who constantly live "under the threat of eviction."
Renters in California have been hit hard by high costs of living and low vacancy rates that have made it difficult for many to keep up. A recent survey conducted for the Silicon Valley Leadership Group found that one-third of Bay Area apartment renters and nearly one-quarter of residents in their 20s and 30s say they struggle to afford housing. Many of those surveyed say they have had to cut back on food, entertainment, and even medical care to pay their rent at the end of the month.
The new bills were introduced last week after an attempt to take away restrictions on rent control failed in the legislature. Last year, lawmakers approved a series of bills that included new real estate fees to pay for more housing, and a $4 billion bond that will go to voters in November.
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