Corporate landlords seek retribution against HIV/AIDS nonprofit over rent control advocacy using unconstitutional, singularly targeted campaign
LOS ANGELES (November 28, 2023) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has filed suit (Case #C099923) to put an immediate stop to the California Apartment Association’s (CAA) and Executive Director Tom Bannon’s unconstitutional, deceptive ballot initiative targeting AHF over its support of rent control.
CAA’s disingenuously titled “Protect Patients Now sponsored by California Apartment Association” petition illegally applies to one—and only one—organization in all of California: AIDS Healthcare Foundation. CAA’s measure is in response to AHF’s successful effort qualifying the Justice for Renters Act, a rent control ballot initiative, for the November 2024 election. Justice for Renters would remove California’s rent control ban and give local communities the right to stabilize rents and make apartments more affordable for low-income and middle-income renters.
“The anti-renter California Apartment Association is peddling a deceptive, unconstitutional ballot measure cleverly disguised as a patient protection bill but is, in fact, designed to hurt both patients and low-income renters. It’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” said Susie Shannon, policy director of Housing is a Human Right. “Don’t be fooled: The Patient Protection Act targets one organization, AHF, the largest HIV/ AIDS organization in the world, and the leading organization working to expand rent control for the most vulnerable in our society – low-income seniors, veterans, single parents and patients with HIV/AIDS. CAA, which does not represent patients, has shown they are willing to deceive voters in their quest for unbridled profits for the billionaire landlord class they represent, while patients and low-income renters suffer. The courts will now decide whether this unconstitutional, dangerous, anti-renter and anti-patient initiative will be placed before voters.”
