3 Democrats May Block Ellis Act Reform
Brian Maienschein, Sharon Quirk-Silva, Jesse Gabriel
Will Legislators Help Solve CA’s Housing and Homelessness Crisis?
The security of millions of California tenants could be decided on Thursday, April 15 as the Assembly Housing Committee votes on AB 854. AB 854 prevents speculator evictions under the Ellis Act, and is the strongest tenant and rental housing protection bill in the legislature this session.
Unfortunately, three committee Democrats—Jesse Gabriel (Los Angeles), Sharon Quirk-Silva (Orange County) and Brian Maienschein (San Diego)—have yet to announce support. Two of their votes are needed.
Quirk-Silva helped kill a similar bill in 2014 (See “Assembly Democrats Put Ellis Reform on Life Support” June 19, 2014). But she has since demonstrated great concern about the housing crisis. Quirk-Silva was recently appointed Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Orange County Homelessness and Mental Health Services and has made ending homelessness a top priority.