Meet The California Lawmakers Fighting For Renters … Including Themselves

If you’re among the millions of Americans dealing with skyrocketing rental prices, you might get the impression that your elected representatives don’t experience the same struggles.

And in most cases, you’d probably be right.

But there’s a small group of legislators in California who are speaking out on behalf of tenants statewide — and it started when they announced that they are also renters.

Looking at the numbers

Even though nearly half of all Californians rent their homes, California State Assembly member Matt Haney said that he is one of just a handful of state legislators who don’t own a home.

“When I got there last year, it seemed that there were only three of us out of 120,” he said. “That’s a very small number.”

Nevertheless, he teamed up with the others — Isaac Bryan and Alex Lee — to create the California Renters Caucus. They were later joined by two others, Tasha Boerner and Aisha Wahab, and a sixth who didn’t return after attending one meeting.

Haney said he’s not sure if these are all of the renters currently serving in the legislature, but they’re the only ones who’ve admitted it.

It’s spreading nationwide

The U.S. House of Representatives has also launched its own renter’s caucus, headed by Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), who said that his “gut” tells him that fewer than 10 of his fellow federal lawmakers are also renters.

Tenant advocates say it’s important to see elected officials fighting on behalf of renters nationwide. As Boerner noted, her presence on the California caucus helps highlight the fact that renters include people from all walks of life.

“No one ever called my office because I’m a white mom living in Encinitas,” she said of her late addition to the group. “They thought, ‘She must be a homeowner.’”

Chris Agee July 22nd, 2023

Share this story: