Right to Thrive: Tenant-Led Housing Justice in Vallejo, California

The City of Vallejo is at a crossroads. Out-of-town investors and corporate landlords are profiting off residents, creating a cascading crisis of unstable housing, rising rents, and deteriorating living conditions. In partnership with the Vallejo Housing Justice Coalition, this report summarizes our findings from the first tenant experience survey assessing renters’ needs in Vallejo.

Our survey found:

• 19 percent average annual rent increase for renters, amounting to hundreds of dollars a month.
• 40 percent of renters report pests, mold, mildew, or plumbing problems landlords won’t fix.
• 1 in 3 Vallejo residents report significant stress directly caused by high rent.

The survey also found that more than 3 in 4 Vallejo residents support rent stabilization, just cause eviction protections, right to counsel, community land trusts, and a tenant’s right to organize.