Within the last decade, debates on rent stabilization have reemerged among housing researchers, policymakers, and the communities they serve, especially in regions where low-income communities of color have experienced skyrocketing rents and disproportionate rates of residential displacement. Research generally shows that rent stabilization supports existing residents in maintaining their tenure, but what does that increased stability really mean for individuals and families? What does it allow them to do in life and how does it shape their choices? And what does this mean for racial equity and belonging?
This study seeks to address the uncertainty over rent stabilization’s effects by providing an evidence-based analysis of the early impacts of rent stabilization policies on tenants in the cities of Mountain View and Richmond, two jurisdictions in California’s San Francisco Bay Area that adopted rent stabilization ordinances in 2016.
In partnership with the Mountain View Housing Justice Coalition, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment - Contra Costa, the City of Richmond Rent Program, and the City of Mountain View Rent Stabilization Program, we are conducting a renter survey and analysis of data from the UC Consumer Credit Panel to explore the above questions. This project is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Policies for Action Program.
Interested in participating in the renter survey? Invitations to participate in the survey are being sent to a randomly selected sample of renters in Mountain View, Sunnyvale, and Richmond. You are only eligible to participate in the survey if you receive a postcard in the mail from the Social Science Research Center at Cal State Fullerton inviting you to complete the survey. If you received a postcard and are experiencing any issues accessing the survey or other technical concerns, please call/text the Social Science Research Center at 657-554-8037 or email ssrc@fullerton.edu.
For more information about this project, contact the Community Power and Policy Partnerships Program at equitablehousing@berkeley.edu.
