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Fight Over Rising Rent Brings Marchers To Sacramento Streets

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Hundreds of marchers calling for stricter rent control descended on the capital on Monday calling for legislators to act.

They say something needs to be done about rising rents forcing many people out of their homes across the state.

Holding signs and chanting, the marchers shut down a street for a time today trying to get their message across. At one point the marchers entered the senator hotel where the California Association of Realtors office is located.

They're calling for a repeal of the Costa-Hawkins rental housing act enacted in 1995 that places limits on rent control policies. It exempts rent control on single-family homes and condos as well as any building constructed after 1995.

For marcher Lile Anarobles, this was personal.

"I started off living in San Diego but I was slowly pushed out of my neighborhood."

The single mother with three boys says she's been forced to move to Tijuana.

"It's impossible to make ends meet when you have one income, having to choose between food or a roof over your head and that shouldn't be."

Herb Cross of the California Apartment Association says the housing crisis needs to be addressed but stricter rent control will only put the brakes on any new development.

"Anyone looking to build new housing looks in an area where there's rent control, our evidence tells us they walk, they leave."

He and other opponents also point out that rent control gives no incentive for owners to fix up their units and hasn't shown to be successful.

"Where they have rent control, what you find are rents higher than anywhere in the country because there are some units under rent control but others are not and are higher in priced than they would've been without rent control."

Opponents also point out that no city that has tried rent control including San Francisco, Atlanta, or Los Angeles has ever seen success.

The solution they say is giving out vouchers for housing to make it affordable.

Meantime backers are confident they can get enough signatures to put the tighter rent control restrictions on the ballot.

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