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# Council to debate endorsing pro-renter bills on Tuesday
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/council-to-debate-endorsing-pro-renter-bills-on-tuesday/
- Published: 2002-04-05T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T00:13:45.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless

based spokesman for Renters Together For Stronger Communities.

Santa Monicans for Renters Rights announced at a Tuesday afternoon press conference in front of Santa Monica City Hall to announce the local political organization will join Renters Together to help organize tenants and promote renter friendly legislation at the state level.

Mayor Pro Tem Kevin McKeown also announced that he will introduce a motion to the Santa Monica City Council at its meeting next Tuesday asking the municipal body to support three pro-renter bills, including the bond measure, in the state Assembly and Senate and to write letters to their legislators and Governor Gray Davis.

The statewide pro-renter rallies followed a February outcry over 30-day eviction notices mailed to 570 renter households in Sacramento and Santa Rosa. Japanese billionaire real estate investor Gensiro Kawa-moto later relented during a storm of criticism and offered more time.

The $2.1 billion housing bond approved Thursday will cost the state approximately $3.5 billion with interest over 25 years - an estimated $140 million a year in debt payments.

Democrats called it a small price for millions of Californians caught up in the state’s housing shortage. California housing officials say the state falls 80,000 units behind demand every year.

“Today in San Diego, people who are low income get in cars and travel as far as they have to go to find something affordable, like Riverside County,” said Assemblyman Howard Wayne, D-San Diego.

The bond steers millions to build more rental housing, but also includes $195 million each for emergency homeless shelters and supportive housing for the disabled. It also provides $290 million to help first-time home buyers make down payments.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 5, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/040502.pdf?ref=smdp.com)