This week, Making Contact looks at California’s fight over rent control. The stage is set for a political battle between two polar world views. Is housing a human right, or is real estate property an investment commodity where you just need to insure your property and get discounts? And where on that continuum is California’s common ground? 

A statewide initiative, if approved, would allow local governments to create their own rent control laws. In this episode, we go to one of California where there is no limit as to how high rents may be raised.  Later we’ll go to Los Angeles for a look at how that city’s police policies are affecting homeless encampments. 

Featuring:

Mike Van Gorder, Naeiri Khachaekian, and John Bagdzhyan, Glendale Tenants Union; Frank Broccolo, commercial litigator; Glendale renters and landlords; General Dogon, Los Angeles Community Action Network; Tiffany Jones, david Garcia, “Jacob”, homeless encampment residents; Ace Katano, public defender; Alisa Orduña, senior advisor on homelessness, City of Santa Monica; Danielle Dupuy, UCLA researcher; Dominic Choi, LAPD homeless coordinator Commander; Maria Foscarinis, National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty; Victor Hinderliter, LAHSA associate director. 

Credits:

Contributing Producer: Carla Green

Host and segment producer: Monica Lopez

Staff Producers: Anita Johnson, Monica Lopez, Salima Hamirani

Executive Director: Lisa Rudman

Audience Engagement Manager: Sabine Blaizin

Development Associate: Vera Tykulsker

Music Credits:

“Fater Lee”, Black Ant  (open)

“Subway Instrumental Version”, David Szesztay (credits)

For More information:

More U.S. households are renting than at any point in 50 years – Pew Research Center

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/07/19/more-u-s-households-are-renting-than-at-any-point-in-50-years/

Affordable Housing Act

https://ballotpedia.org/California_Local_Rent_Control_Initiative_(2018)

Glendale Tenants Union

http://www.glendaletenants.org/

Tenants United Santa Ana

https://www.facebook.com/TuSantaAna/

Uplift Inglewood Coalition

https://www.facebook.com/upliftinglewood/?hc_ref=ARSYYkG0CI1mXhYN1MOCzw_Ol0vmnbJ9Ku1HRlRj7Qa9YwQjZpcU4_yuDGEvvblocj8&fref=nf

Los Angeles Community Action Network

http://cangress.org/

Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority

https://www.lahsa.org/

UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights

https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Housing/Pages/HousingIndex.aspx

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