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Whereas there have been studies nationally of the housing market cooling due to the slowing financial system in some states, the information continues to be grim in California — and in San Diego particularly. In response to the rentcafe.com data-tracking website, in July, common month-to-month rents hit an all-time high within the metropolis of $2,916 — 71 p.c larger than the nationwide common. Illustrating simply how brutal this image is — and the way tough it’s for a lot of households to economize after paying for the price of shelter — the location famous that simply 3 p.c of San Diego flats can be found for $1,500 or much less a month.
This exhibits native renters — dealing with restricted provide and excessive demand — want any assist they will get. Assemblymember Chris Ward, D-San Diego, has stepped up with a invoice that will tackle the extra monetary misery created when candidates searching for a spot to dwell should pay charges to a number of landlords of $25 to $55 per grownup for credit score checks, employment verifications and legal background studies. Assembly Bill 2559 would standardize these screening studies and have them ready by an impartial third occasion. This may enable rental candidates to make use of them repeatedly inside a 30-day interval with landlords who settle for the standardized kinds after greedy the worth of streamlining the applying course of. Comparable measures have been adopted within the states of Washington and Maryland.
This month, each the Meeting and the Senate permitted Ward’s invoice by lopsided margins. Now it’s on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. Nobody ought to have any illusions that this can be a main long-term resolution to the state housing scarcity that retains prices so excessive, however monetary aid that might save individuals tons of of {dollars} is welcome. A current Zillow report on housing developments famous that greater than one-quarter of U.S. renters thought-about a number of utility charges to be a significant headache. In the meantime, information studies that Senate President Professional Tempore Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, Meeting Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood, and different lawmakers had struck a deal on a measure touted as making it simpler to use commercially zoned property for housing gave the impression to be extra excellent news. If that plan stands as much as scrutiny, might it — and others addressing the housing disaster — additionally make it to Newsom’s desk.
