Dozens of tenants packed onto the west steps of the California State Capitol in Sacramento on Monday, calling on lawmakers to lock in a permanent statewide rent cap. The rally came on the eve of an Assembly vote on Assembly Bill 1157, the Affordable Rent Act, which backers say is one of the few tools left to slow steep rent hikes and keep families from being forced out of their homes.
According to KCRA, organizers planned to kick things off at noon, with a news conference alongside the bill’s authors set for 12:30 p.m. They told the station they were hoping AB 1157 would move forward when lawmakers took it up on Tuesday and framed the proposal as an urgent attempt to slow displacement and homelessness before the next round of rent increases hits.
What AB 1157 Would Change
AB 1157 would tighten California’s existing rent cap by limiting annual increases to the lesser of 2% plus the change in the Consumer Price Index or a hard ceiling of 5%, according to the California Legislature. It would also extend just-cause eviction and rent-cap protections to single-family rental homes and remove the current 2030 sunset on the Tenant Protection Act. Supporters say that combination would immediately curb large, sudden rent spikes, while critics warn it could squeeze small landlords and chill the construction of new housing.
Supporters Say Rents Are Unsustainable
Tenant advocates backing the Affordable Rent Act point to shrinking household budgets and swelling housing costs, with organizers telling KCRA that nearly half of California renters now spend more than 30% of their income on housing. The campaign website for the Affordable Rent Act says the bill would protect millions of renters and notes support from a coalition that includes PICO California and UNITE HERE Local 11. Backers argue that lowering the cap would make monthly housing costs more predictable for working families who feel one surprise rent hike away from moving out.
Opposition From Landlord Groups
On the other side, landlord and industry organizations, including the California Apartment Association, argue the proposal could heap additional financial pressure on small property owners and discourage new construction. Those concerns surfaced repeatedly in last year’s debate, according to the California Apartment Association. Opponents say stricter caps and broader coverage risk backfiring, warning of reduced housing supply or costs being shifted elsewhere in the market.
What To Watch Next
Lawmakers were scheduled to consider AB 1157 on Tuesday, with the bill’s fate likely hinging on how moderates and members focused on housing production decide to vote. If the measure advances, it will head toward floor votes and, if it clears both chambers, land on the governor’s desk. If it stalls again, supporters say the rent-cap fight is not going anywhere and will carry into the next phase of the legislative session.
Monday’s rally capped months of hearings and lobbying over AB 1157. The bill moved through committee last year before being put on pause amid heated testimony, a sequence detailed by outlets tracking the Capitol debate. For many renters on the Capitol steps, organizers said, this was a last, very public appeal to convince lawmakers to act before the next big rent increase notice shows up in the mailbox.
