Winning rent stabilization in Inglewood 

After three and a half years of community advocacy, ballot initiative efforts which amassed more than 10,000 signatures, and continued pressure on Inglewood City Council, the Uplift Inglewood Coalition won rent stabilization in Inglewood. 

Many people told us in the beginning that passing a rent stabilization ordinance in Inglewood would be politically impossible. In Spring of 2018, we took matters into our own hands and collected more than 10,000 signatures in order to get rent stabilization on the ballot.  But our signature gathering efforts could not keep up with the rate at which registered voters were being displaced. Too many of the signatures did not qualify for the ballot.

Through organizing for the rent stabilization ballot initiative, we built a strong, active base who proved that the policy had mass support throughout the city. We persevered and maintained a presence at City Council meetings while continuing to tell our stories.

The Uplift Inglewood Coalition organized at strategic moments. When an Inglewood resident's $1,525 rent increase went viral, coalition members mobilized to tell Inglewood City Council to pass rent stabilization for our city.  We kept the pressure up and organized until, finally, we won rent stabilization in Inglewood. 

During the vote, Coalition members turned out in mass and persuaded Inglewood City Council to pass a stronger rent stabilization ordinance with a lower annual rent increase cap and robust eviction protections. Our collective efforts amounted to an historic victory, not just for Inglewood but for housing justice advocates throughout California.