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Residents Rallying For Rent Control As Costs Skyrocket In Sacramento

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Hundreds of Sacramentans are expected to rally in Oak Park Saturday morning, calling for rent control, to stop rent from spiking up every year.

Rent costs have been on the rise, especially over the past year-and-a half, according to a local property management owner and it's driving people out of the city.

"I don't have a house anymore for my daughters," said Nancy Avalos.

A single mother of three, Avalos says she could no longer afford to pay her rent at the Cedar Ridge Apartments off Mack Road.
She gave her final notice in June and was afraid she'd end up homeless.

"I'm very afraid," said Avalos.

Avalos says her rent went up three times in the last year.
She says she was initially paying $695 a month, but in June of this year, her rent totaled over $1,000.

"We need to make sure they have secure homes for tomorrow, for the next month and not wait for development five years from now," Jovana Fajardo said.

Fajardo is speaking on behalf of all tenants in Sacramento.
She's one of the organizers of Saturday's rally, urging the city to adopt rent-control policies.

"If we don't have rent-control to protect these rents from going up, we will see families going to other cities," Fajardo added.

"Rents are going up, unfortunately," said Bob Thomas, a property management owner in Sacramento.

Thomas says he's already seeing families move out of Sacramento because of the sky-high rent.

"The owner realizes I'm going to catch up to the market so they are raising the rent, anywhere from $100 in some situations up to $300," added Thomas.

Thomas says it's people from the Bay Area and the East Coast who are used to paying higher prices, which are driving up the rent.
Although rent-control would benefit tenants who are locked into their leasing agreements, Thomas says new tenants who can't afford the new prices are the ones who get squeezed out.

It's a new reality for Avalos, who says Fresno could become her new home.

"It's very horrible," Avalos said.

The rally starts at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, at the Fruitridge Community Collaborative.

Later this month, Fajardo and her organization will head to the city council and push for rent-control policies.

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