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Abbreviation | AHF |
---|---|
Formation | February 1987 |
Founder | Chris Brownlie Michael Weinstein |
Type | nonprofit organization |
95-4112121[1] | |
Legal status | 501(c)(3) |
Purpose | To provide medical care for people living with HIV or AIDS. The organization aims to eradicate HIV/AIDS through its network of health care centers, pharmacies, prevention and testing services, healthcare contracts and other strategic partnerships.[2] |
Headquarters | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Coordinates | 34°05′56″N 118°19′33″W / 34.098787°N 118.325725°W |
Subsidiaries | AHF Pharmacy Out of the Closet thrift stores Positive Healthcare Housing is a Human Right Healthy Housing Foundation |
Revenue (2020) | $1,766,598,821[2] |
Expenses (2020) | $1,635,146,022[2] |
Employees (2019) | 2,446[3] |
Website | ahf |
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and advocacy services.[4] As of 2024, AHF operates about 400 clinics, 69 outpatient healthcare centers, 62 pharmacies, and 22 Out of the Closet thrift stores across 15 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and 46 countries, with over 5,000 employees, and provides care to more than two million patients.[5][6][7][8] The organization's aim is to end the AIDS epidemic by ensuring access to quality healthcare, including HIV and STD testing, prescription of medications like Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), and referrals to specialty pharmacies.[9][10][11] AHF is the largest provider of PrEP in the United States, though its founder Michael Weinstein has received criticism for his past opposition to the drug.
Since 2012, AHF has become highly active in sponsoring and exclusively financing multiple high-profile ballot initiatives in two states, starting with a successful Los Angeles County initiative to require condoms in adult films (2012 Los Angeles Measure B), and then a similar statewide initiative which failed (2016 California Proposition 60). They also ran two measures seeking to cap prescription drug prices (California Proposition 61 (2016) and Ohio Issue 2 (2017)), both of which failed.
In 2017, AHF created a new organization named the Healthy Housing Foundation, which has been creating housing for homeless and low-income individuals, primarily in Los Angeles. AHF also shifted its political focus to attempting to block housing construction through lawsuits against several new projects, as well as an initiative seeking to block local development in Los Angeles (2017 Los Angeles Measure S), and two seeking to allow for the expansion of rent control in California (2018 California Proposition 10 and 2020 California Proposition 21); these three failed at the polls.[12] Regarding the housing initiatives, critics have questioned whether the group is misusing foundation and taxpayer money by sponsoring ballot initiatives they consider unrelated to the stated mission of the organization.[13][14][15] Weinstein argues, however, that housing is linked to a "sustainable public health structure."[16]
AHF is a supporter of the Justice for Renters Act, a 2024 California ballot measure that would expand rent control in the state.
History
[edit]Early years: AIDS Hospice Foundation and Chris Brownlie Hospice
[edit]During the late 1980s and early 1990s, AHF emerged as an advocate for gay and bisexual men who were hit hardest at the start of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.[17] In 1987, activists Chris Brownlie, Michael Weinstein, Sharon Raphael, PhD, Mina Meyer, MA, and other advocates were among the earliest champions of the AIDS hospice movement.[18][19] They co-founded the Los Angeles AIDS Hospice Committee, which was the catalyst for the AIDS Hospice Foundation that we know today as the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.[20]
Members of the inaugural AIDS Hospice Committee—Brownlie, Weinstein, Myer, Raphael, Paul Coleman, and others—negotiated for the opening of Chris Brownlie Hospice by protesting and picketing of then-Supervisor Mike Antonovich's home. Following an emotional plea for hospice care to Los Angeles County Commission on AIDS, which included the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, they secured a $2 million commitment to AIDS care on the grounds of the Barlow Respiratory Hospital.[21]
The 25-bed hospice—the first of three operated by AHF, including the Carl Bean House and Linn House, which opened in 1992 and 1995, respectively—provided 24-hour medical and palliative care to people living through the final stages of AIDS. The Carl Bean House was named after then-Reverend Carl Bean, a singer and activist who founded the Minority AIDS Project.[22][23] Located in South Central Los Angeles, it specifically focused on care for predominantly Black and Latino community members, accepting all terminal AIDS patients regardless if they had health insurance or not.[22]
Brownlie died at the age of 39, on November 26, 1989 because of AIDS-related complications,[24] less than a year after the hospice named in his honor first opened, survived by his father, sister, brothers, his longtime partner, Phill Wilson and countless friends and fellow AIDS activists. In addition to Brownlie, over 1,000 people had been given dignified, specialized, compassionate final care at the Chris Brownlie Hospice by the time it ended hospice operations in September 1996. The building that housed the Brownlie Hospice went through its own rebirths, housing various departments of AHF, including the headquarters for AHF's Public Health Division, before the organization officially turned the property back over to the City of Los Angeles with a sunset memorial ceremony on January 26, 2013.[25]
Expansion
[edit]As medical opportunities for managing HIV including anti-retroviral drugs became more available, AHF changed its mission to helping individuals with HIV/AIDS live well with the disease through advanced medical care. This shift was marked with the change of the Foundation's name to AIDS Healthcare Foundation in July 1990.[18][26]
AHF operates the Out of the Closet thrift store chain. 96 cents of every dollar earned at the thrift stores goes to AHF’s HIV/AIDS programs and housing services, on-site pharmacies, and free HIV testing.[27] The first Out of the Closet thrift store opened in 1990 in Los Angeles' Atwater Village to benefit residents living with AIDS at the Chris Brownlie Hospice.[28] In 1997, Out of the Closet thrift stores began offering free and anonymous HIV testing.[29]
In 1991, AHF opened the Richard Polanco HIV Clinic as a place where people in the early stages of AIDS could receive treatment even without private health insurance.[30]
In 2000, AHF opened its first pharmacy, a move that proved crucial to its underlying business model.[31] The organization's main business is its network of pharmacies and clinics that provide primary care to patients, most of whom have their insurance claims paid by government insurance programs like Medicaid.[31] The excess income from these patients has helped AHF provide free care to millions of patients—the greatest reach of any HIV/AIDS organization.[31] AHF acquired the MOMS Pharmacy chain of pharmacies in 2012, and in 2013, rebranded the chain as AHF Pharmacy.[32]
AHF sponsored HIV awareness-themed Rose Parade floats in 2012 and 2013, each winning the Queen's Trophy for best use of roses.[33][34] The organization fashioned a tribute to actress Elizabeth Taylor, who championed HIV and AIDS programs in the 1980s.[35]
In 2014, AHF made history during the Rose Parade by hosting a same-sex wedding on its float for the first time in the parade’s history.[36] The float, with the theme "Love is the Best Protection," won best presentation of color and color harmony through floral use.[37] A longtime float participant, the organization has earned a reputation for thought-provoking messages surrounding healthcare, homelessness, gay rights, anti-violence, and other issues.[38]
AHF produced the documentary film Keep The Promise: The Global Fight Against AIDS, depicting the AHF-sponsored protest of government anti-HIV funding levels and anti-HIV drug prices at the XIX International AIDS Conference, 2012. The film premiered on March 29, 2013 at the Vail Film Festival.[39]
In August 2024, AHF opened a new all-in-one facility in Austin, Texas, including an HIV healthcare center, pharmacy services, STI testing and treatment, and an Out of the Closet thrift store, where 96 cents of every dollar earned goes back into local patient care.[40][41]
Global
[edit]In the early 2000s, AHF developed a program called Global Immunity, whose goal is to change the course of the HIV/AIDS epidemic by expanding access to treatment for those living with HIV across the globe.[42][43] As of 2023, the organization operates clinics in 45 countries.[44]
In 2001, AHF became the first international organization to sponsor an HIV/AIDS clinic in South Africa.[45] The clinic, Ithembalabantu (Zulu for “People’s Hope”), was opened in Umlazi, Durban where 10% of the population was infected with HIV at the time.[45]
In 2002, AHF opened an HIV/AIDS clinic in Masaka, Uganda under the program Uganda Cares.[46] In 2004, the organization developed an “HIV Medic Program” in Masaka, a task-shifting training program that was awarded a “Best Practice” designation by the World Health Organization (WHO).[46] By 2022, Uganda Cares had tested over seven million Ugandans, started treatment for more than 112,000 Ugandans, and distributed over 45 million condoms.[47]
In 2004, AHF began working in India.[48] Two years later, the Centre of Excellence ART clinic was opened by AHF India Cares in New Delhi, with AHF becoming the first provider to offer free anti-retroviral therapy (ART) in the area.[49]
In May 2023, AHF began a collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to eliminate HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, monkeypox, and other STIs in Latin America.[50] The partnership set out to implement WHO recommendations through advocacy, including improvement of prevention programs, quality of care, and treatment outcomes.[50]
Housing
[edit]AHF is a proponent of increasing the housing supply for low-income and homeless individuals, and also advocates for rent control.[51][52][53] The organization states that their housing platform is based on what they call the “3 Ps”: Protect, preserve, and produce.[54] They explain this as addressing gentrification and homelessness by promoting rent control and discouraging evictions; supporting sustainable land-use policies without disrupting neighborhoods; and creating affordable housing through cost-effective new construction and the adaptive reuse of existing buildings.[54]
Weinstein likens the homelessness and housing affordability crises to the "moral outrage of AIDS in the [1980s]," with many homeless youth identifying as LGBTQ.[16] Under his leadership, AHF has sued to prevent the destruction of available housing units by developers who favor luxury housing.[16]
In recognition of the interconnectedness between housing stability and overall health outcomes for individuals living with HIV/AIDS, AIDS Healthcare Foundation established the Healthy Housing Foundation (HHF).[55] HHF is responsible for finding or building affordable housing units in several places across the country, including Los Angeles and Miami-Dade County, where the organization has made a multi-million dollar commitment to house people in need.[56][57]
In 2017, AHF created a new organization named the Healthy Housing Foundation (HHF) which started acquiring hotels (often single-room occupancy) in the Los Angeles area for conversion to affordable housing units, renting them for about $400–600 per month.[58][59] By 2020, it owned seven such properties totaling 800 units.[58] As of 2022, it owns over a dozen in Los Angeles, Hollywood, and Skid Row neighborhoods, and by 2023 has spend more than $180 million on the purchase and renovation of these properties.[60]: 1 [5] AHF has specialized in buying old (and sometimes vacant) hotels and converting them to housing (for a total investment of $110,000 per unit) as a much more cost-effective way to provide housing than the City of Los Angeles, which pays about $500,000 per unit for constructing new affordable housing.[51]
In 2020, HHF sponsored the Rental Affordability Act, (2020 California Proposition 21) which was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Maxine Waters, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, among others.[16]
That same year, tenants in one of the AHF's apartment buildings (an almost century-old hotel named The Madison) sued the AHF over slum-like conditions.[58][60] The tenants had reached a settlement with the previous owner for similar problems, and allege that the previous owner defrauded AHF by not disclosing that settlement, though others say that AHF should have known from due diligence.[60]: 1 AHF has refuted claims about lingering maintenance problems in the organization’s Skid Row residential buildings, blaming city officials for failing to permit planned upgrades.[61][62] In 2022, the city and public utility paid AHF $100,000 to settle claims that they had delayed needed improvements to an elevator at The Madison.[62]
In December 2023, AHF purchased the Morrison Hotel, made famous by The Doors' 1970 album cover, with plans to convert the building into 111 units of affordable housing.[63] The Doors drummer John Densmore and rock photographer Henry Diltz helped HHF make the announcement, with the hotel becoming the 15th affordable housing property owned and managed by the organization in Los Angeles.[63]
Other activities
[edit]AIDS Healthcare Foundation actively participates in the World AIDS Day to mobilize communities and promote a greater understanding of the impact of HIV/AIDS worldwide.[64] AHF hosted its 2022 World AIDS Day Concert on Wednesday, November 30, at the concert hall of The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., where multi-Grammy Award-winning vocalists Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight delivered performances.[65] In December 2023, AHF hosted its World AIDS Day Concert at NRG Arena in Houston, Texas, featuring Janet Jackson, Debbie Allen, and Blair Underwood.[66] Underwood received the organization's Lifetime Achievement Award at the event.[67]
The organization paid $110,000 to Kevin de León for consultancy work in the period after he won election to the Los Angeles City Council, but before he took office. Once in office, De León allegedly pressured his staff not to investigate various health and code violations at properties owned by the foundation in De León's district.[68] Internal communications revealed by the L.A. Times showed that De León told a staff member that angry messages are "coming from the top" about a staff member's visit to one of the foundation's properties. Ethics experts expressed concerns about conflicts of interests in the relationship between the two and the failure to disclose the payment.[59]
De León’s consulting contract with AHF ended before taking office as a council member.[69] He maintains he showed no favoritism to AHF in addressing tenant complaints, showing that his staff monitored concerns and referred tenants to city enforcement officials.[68] According to Pete Brown, a de León spokesman, his meetings with city officials on AHF’s behalf were only intended as briefings.[69]
In 2023, AHF organized a “We The People” national rally in response to bills introduced in state legislatures that the organization claims discriminate against women, immigrants, LGBTQ individuals, and others.[70] More than 4,000 people marched in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in July 2023, including activist organizations and individuals like David Hogg and Debbie Allen.[71] Labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta also joined the rally.[72]
Safer sex advocacy
[edit]AHF hosts global events to both commemorate those lost to HIV/AIDS and educate the public about the importance of safer sex with condom use. Each year on December 1, AHF marks World AIDS Day with a series of international events throughout many of the countries where AHF operates. It is an opportunity to reflect on the progress made in battling HIV/AIDS over the years and be a reminder of the work left to be done amid the 1.7 million new HIV infections every year.[73]
International Condom Day, which is celebrated on February 13, was established by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.[74][75] As a part of their advocacy efforts, AIDS Healthcare Foundation offers free condoms to the public at their International Condom Day (ICD) events and year around at their pharmacies, healthcare centers, and wellness centers.[76][77]
International Condom Day is an AHF holiday celebrated on February 13. It was created to promote safer sex and provide access to condoms and free Rapid Testing. AHF uses World AIDS Day and International Condom Day as fun ways to engage with people, get them tested for HIV, and get them connected to care if they need it.[78]
PrEP
[edit]In 2014, the organization was noted as being unique amongst H.I.V.-prevention groups in advocating against pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a drug that greatly reduces the risk of contracting H.I.V.[79] AHF does, however, prescribe PrEP, and as of 2022 is the largest provider of PrEP in the U.S.[80][81] According to AHF's founder and president, Michael Weinstein in 2019, "It's a mischaracterization to say that we were opposed to PrEP."[16] He stated that "PrEP would help individuals who were certain not to use condoms," and "We said that we did not believe it would be a successful public health strategy."[16]
Weinstein's opposition to PrEP and his calling it a "party drug" made him disliked by many within the anti-AIDS space.[79][80][16] He believes that usage of PrEP will reduce the use of condoms (what he calls "condom culture") and thereby increase new AIDS cases.[79] The global clinical trial for PrEP found that usage did not lead to riskier sex, which was explained by the fact that condom use among gay men is generally low.[79]
Advocacy for reducing drug prices
[edit]AHF engages in public advocacy for government programs to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic, including efforts to reduce drug costs.[17] The organization has filed lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies regarding the pricing of HIV treatments, such as tenofovir.[82] In November 2006, AHF asked Indian anti-HIV drug manufacturer Cipla to reduce the price of its combination drug Viraday from its launch price of about Rs 62,000 per year. Cipla CEO Y. K. Hamied cited taxes and custom duties on raw materials as reasons for the high price, but agreed to a price cut.[83]
In January 2007, AHF filed suit in Los Angeles over Pfizer's direct-to-consumer marketing of Viagra, accusing Pfizer of promoting off-label, recreational use of Viagra, and suggesting a link between Viagra, methamphetamine, and unsafe sex. Pfizer denied AHF's claims, and mentioned that AHF had recently asked Pfizer to fund an educational program about meth.[84]
In August 2007, AHF began purchasing full-page ads in Indian newspapers accusing Cipla of overpricing. According to AHF, a year's worth of Viraday cost Rs 54,000 when sold in India, but only Rs 21,000 when exported to Africa.[85] Some NGOs declined to join AHF in criticizing Cipla's drug prices, citing a potential conflict of interest: Cipla's opposition to the patent application for Viread, a component of Viraday, filed by AHF contributor Gilead Sciences. Gilead denied involvement in AHF's complaint, and an AHF regional chief stated that AHF also opposed Gilead's patent application for Viread.[86]
In March 2008, AHF petitioned drug manufacturers including Abbott, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead, GSK, Merck, Pfizer, Roche and Tibotec to freeze the price of their HIV drugs in the U.S, stating that as a result of regular drug price increases "HIV/AIDS assistance programs will essentially be flat funded and unable to provide access to additional people in need of lifesaving drugs."[87]
In September 2013, AHF filed a lawsuit in California against GSK alleging that the company "... failed to fully satisfy its obligations with respect to discounts for drugs it sold to AIDS Healthcare Foundation over a period of many years," under the 340B Drug Pricing Program, a federal drug discount program designed to stretch scarce federal resources as far as possible for community healthcare providers such as AHF.[88] The organization is a participant in the 340B Program, claiming it improves the “clinical outcomes of vulnerable Americans” while “cost[ing] the American taxpayer nothing.”[89][90]
Legal activism
[edit]In May 1999, AHF filed a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles over the mismanagement of AIDS Housing Funds. Following a state legislator's audit, the Los Angeles City Controller revealed that more than $17 million in federal funds for people with AIDS went unspent as an AIDS homeless crisis raged in Los Angeles.[91]
Condom laws litigation in Los Angeles and Las Vegas
[edit]In 2004, Darren James and three other adult film actors tested positive for HIV. In response to the outbreak, AHF began lobbying in favor of laws requiring condom use by male actors during sex scenes in adult films.[92]
In 2010, AHF unsuccessfully sued the Los Angeles County government to compel its health department to mandate condom use in adult film productions.[92]
In 2012, AHF supported a Los Angeles city ordinance requiring condoms in certain adult films.[93] Later the same year, the organization spent US$1,654,681 funding the successful campaign to pass Measure B, a ballot initiative that expanded the condom requirement countywide.[94]
AHF again sued the Los Angeles County government, alleging that an August 2012 audit conducted by the county was an illegal retaliation for AHF's support for Measure B.[95][96] In 2013, AHF began collecting signatures for a ballot measure to create a Los Angeles city health department that would take over part of the county health department's jurisdiction.[97] The City of Los Angeles and County of Los Angeles oppose the measure, and the city has filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the measure.[98]
In August 2014, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation filed a formal complaint with Nevada OSHA,[99] against Cybernet Entertainment LLC, which does business as Kink.com and related spin-offs. The complaint alleges the California porn company did not require its actors to use condoms during an adult film shoot in Las Vegas.
2013 Los Angeles lawsuit
[edit]In 2013, AHF found itself entangled in dual lawsuits when AHF allegedly attempted to use its clout to force the City of Los Angeles to develop health services independent from the county. Health officials in affected departments filed responsive suits, arguing massive wastes would result in a transition or duplication of services.[100]
2014 lawsuits
[edit]In 2014, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation filed suit against the City of San Francisco. AHF claimed that city restrictions on chain stores targeted them unfairly when the organization attempted to open a retail store.[101][102]
In 2014, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation filed suit against the County of Dallas. AHF claimed that the County did not give the agency a fair chance to bid for federal AIDS funding.[103]
In 2014, AHF was audited by Los Angeles county and billed $1.7 million for duplicated services. AHF filed suit, arguing that they were targeted on the basis of their political actions in the 2013 lawsuit. The lawsuit filed by AHF was thrown out by a judge.[104] The billing case was dismissed, finding AHF had not billed the county for $6 million in allowable services with neither the foundation nor the county having to repay funds.[105]
2015 Broward County Court
[edit]In 2015, a whistleblower lawsuit was filed by three former AHF managers. The employees allege AHF engaged and even documented kickback processes for positive HIV test results for social workers.[106] AHF ultimately won the case.[107]
2016 East Baton Rouge lawsuit
[edit]In 2016, the AIDS healthcare foundation filed suit against East Baton Rouge Parish in Louisiana, claiming it was discriminated against in the awarding of healthcare contracts. The suit specifically targeted funds given to longstanding local AIDS service organizations such as HIV/AIDS Alliance for Region Two, Family Service of Greater Baton Rouge, and others.[108][109] The suit was settled with funding left unchanged.[110]
2016 Los Angeles Palladium Development lawsuit
[edit]The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) filed suit against the City of Los Angeles, alleging that the city violated laws and the city charter when it approved the development of two residential towers that are expected to be up to 30 stories tall. The City Council changed existing zoning and height limitations to allow the development, which would be next to AHF's Hollywood headquarters. A spokesperson for the development accused Michael Weinstein of filing the suit to maintain the view from his office, but Weinstein countered that opposing "luxury housing" development is part of AHF's mission.[111] In 2019, the California Supreme Court Refused to hear the case, leaving in place a lower court decision against the foundation.[112]
2019 CVS lawsuit
[edit]In 2019, AHF filed a lawsuit with the American Arbitration Association against Caremark LLC, a CVS subsidiary, over unfair reimbursement practices.[113] CVS was eventually ordered to compensate AHF $23 million.[114]
2022 L.A. City Council Housing Element dispute
[edit]In 2022, the AHF sued to block Los Angeles's Housing Element, which is a new strategy by the L.A. City Council to increase housing supply in L.A. with a goal of producing 500,000 new housing units by 2030, with 200,000 of those being affordable units.[15] AHF argued that city officials did not properly assess the environmental impacts of their strategy.[115]
Ballot initiatives
[edit]Condom use in adult films
[edit]2012 Los Angeles County Measure B "County of Los Angeles Safer Sex In the Adult Film Industry Act" - succeeded
[edit]AHF spent $1.7 million sponsoring an initiative that requires the use of condoms in all vaginal and anal sex scenes in pornography productions filmed in Los Angeles County, California.[116] It passed 57% – 43%.
2016 California Proposition 60 "Adult Film Condom Requirements" - failed
[edit]AHF spent $5.0 million (almost ten times what the total opposition spent) as the only financial backer of a statewide initiative that would have allowed Cal/OSHA to prosecute an enforcement action anytime a condom is not visible in a pornographic film.[117] It failed, 54% to 46%.
Drug pricing
[edit]2013 San Francisco Proposition D - succeeded
[edit]In 2013 AHF sponsored Proposition D in the City of San Francisco, which required the city to negotiate directly with drug manufacturers and set a city policy to request that state and federal lawmakers create laws that would reduce drug prices.[118] It passed 80% – 20%.[118]
2016 California Proposition 61 "California Drug Price Relief Act" - failed
[edit]AHF spent $18.7 million as the almost sole supporter of the California Drug Price Relief Act, (the opposition spent $109 million, making this the most expensive ballot measure to date across California and the United States) a statewide 2016 ballot initiative that would have revised California law to require state programs to pay no more for prescription medications than the prices negotiated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (notwithstanding any other provision of law and insofar as permissible under federal law), while exempting managed care programs funded through Medi-Cal.[119] It failed by a 6% margin.[120]
2017 Ohio Issue 2 "Ohio Drug Price Relief Act" - failed
[edit]AHF spend $18 million as the almost exclusive sponsor of the Ohio Drug Price Relief Act (the opposition raised $59 million).[121] According to the Ohio petition language, "The Ohio Drug Price Relief Act would ... require that notwithstanding any other provision of law and in so far as permissible under federal law, the State of Ohio shall not enter into any agreement for the purchase of prescription drugs or agree to pay, directly or indirectly, for prescription drugs, including where the state is the ultimate payer, unless the net cost is the same or less than the lowest price paid for the same drug by the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs."[122] The initiative lost, 79% – 21%.[121]
Housing
[edit]2017 Los Angeles city Measure S "Neighborhood Integrity Initiative" - failed
[edit]In 2016, the foundation sponsored and provided more than 95% of the funding ($5.5 million)[123] for an anti-development ballot initiative, Measure S, which was rejected with 70.4% voting against.[124][125] Real estate developers and others spent over $8 million opposing Measure S.[126] This initiative would have imposed a two-year moratorium on spot zoning as well as developments requiring height and density variances and other changes that would, it claimed, prevent the city from gentrifying and growing too fast. "As we work to house patients in L.A., City Hall focuses on approving $3,500 apartments that sit empty," Weinstein wrote in a Los Angeles Times op-ed.[127] Opponents, who included many advocacy groups for the homeless as well as the city's business community, building trades unions, and developers, said that while the measure addressed some real problems, it went too far and would have not only prevented the construction of new affordable housing but made the city's overall quality of life worse by aggravating an existing housing shortage.[128] They questioned whether the money spent by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation to get the initiative on the ballot was related to the foundation's mission.[129][13]
At an April 2024 event for The Sanders Institute, Weinstein stated that the primary reason for his and AHF's involvement in affordable housing is that "housing is the largest predeterminant of health," calling housing a "human right." In an interview with The Advocate in 2016, regarding Measure S, Weinstein claimed: "Why isn't there development in South L.A.? Why isn't there development in Boyle Heights? Why concentrate all this development in Hollywood? You have a [transit line] in the Valley and a [transit line] in South L.A."[130][131]
Dana Cuff, an urban planning professor at the University of California, Los Angeles stated that Weinstein's housing opposition "is not understandable ... I'd go further than that; it's actually a misuse of their funds. ... They're putting a lot of energy into stopping this project," says Cuff. "If they put that same energy into getting some of this project to be affordable, I would understand [their motivation]. But to just stop it—they couldn't possibly be concerned about affordable housing."[130][131] Those and other similar statements have led opponents to characterize Weinstein as a rich NIMBY who opposes development because it would add traffic to his commute and block the views from his office building, rather than because he cares about the plight of poor renters or people with HIV.[13][130][131]: 1 Weinstein argues that he is against building more luxury housing, not schools, hospitals, homeless shelters, or affordable housing projects.[132]
2018 California Proposition 10 "Repeal of Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act" - failed
[edit]AHF contributed $22.5 million to the campaign for Proposition 10, a ballot initiative which sought to repeal the 1995 Costa-Hawkins Act.[133] The measure would have allowed local governments to adopt rent control on any kind of building.[133] Costa-Hawkins is a state law which disallows local governments (cities and counties) from enacting rent control on buildings constructed after 1995, all single-family homes (regardless of construction date), and disallows laws that keep a property under rent control when tenants change (vacancy control).[134]: 1 The proposition failed, 59% to 41%.[135]
2020 California Proposition 21 "Expands Local Governments’ Authority to Enact Rent Control on Residential Property" - failed
[edit]In 2019, the California legislature passed and the governor signed AB 1482, which created a statewide rent cap for the next 10 years.[136] The Tenant Protection Act of 2019 caps annual rent increases at 5% plus regional inflation, pegged to the rental rate as of March 2019.[136] The new law does not apply to buildings built within the prior 15 years, or to single-family homes (unless owned by corporations or institutional investors) and retains "vacancy decontrol," meaning that rents can increase to market rate between tenants.[136]
In 2020, Michael Weinstein, AHF's founder, sponsored and financed a second ballot initiative to allow more rent control, because he felt that AB 1482 (above) did not provide enough tenant protections, such as limiting rent increases between tenants.[136]
AHF spent $40 million (99.8% of the supporters' funding) in support of Proposition 21 (the opposition spent $85 million). It appeared on the ballot on November 3, 2020 and would have allowed local governments to establish rent control on residential properties that have been occupied for over 15 years. It would also have allowed landlords who own no more than two homes to exempt themselves from such policies, and would also have capped rent increases between tenancies at 15% over three years (vacancy control).[137][138][139] Proposition 21 was rejected by 60% of California voters, like Proposition 10 (above) before it.[140]
2024 “Justice for Renters Act” (rent control)
[edit]AHF is a supporter of the “Justice for Renters Act,” a 2024 ballot measure in California that would repeal statewide rent control restrictions and allow localities to pass updated rent regulations to address the affordable housing crisis.[141][142]
In April 2024, Weinstein attended a two-day strategy session with other housing activists in Los Angeles, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Rep. Ro Khanna.[143] During the session, Weinstein claimed the Justice for Renters campaign is a “battle for the poor and working-class people” who find housing in California unaffordable.[144]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "AIDS Healthcare Foundation". Tax Exempt Organization Search. Internal Revenue Service. August 18, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Form 990: Audit for period ending December 2020". AIDS Healthcare Foundation. December 31, 2020.
- ^ "Form 990 for period ending December 2019". AIDS Healthcare Foundation. December 31, 2019.
- ^ "PAHO and AIDS Healthcare Foundation to collaborate on elimination of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean - PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization". www.paho.org. May 2, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- ^ a b Asch, Andrew (October 20, 2023). "AIDs Healthcare Foundation Buys $20M Warehouse in Carson". The Real Deal. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
The Healthy Housing Foundation has spent more than $183 million on the purchase and renovation of older properties in Los Angeles,...
- ^ Bates, Oliver (October 4, 2023). "AHF Opens New State-of-the-Art Capitol Hill Facility". Metro Weekly. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ "Janet Jackson headlines huge World AIDS Day concert in Houston this December - CultureMap Houston". houston.culturemap.com. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ "HIV/AIDS: AHF celebrates over 2 million lives in care". The Nation Newspaper.
- ^ Reyes, Emily Alpert (September 13, 2023). "STDs have been on the rise. Who should pick up the tab for testing?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
- ^ "New Clinic Opens In St. Petersburg Ahead Of National HIV Testing Day". WUSF. June 25, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
- ^ Staff reports (March 9, 2022). "AIDS Healthcare Foundation opens first Healthcare Center in Virginia". www.washingtonblade.com. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
- ^ See the section: Ballot_initiatives for more information and sources.
- ^ a b c Reyes, Emily Alpert; Zahnhiser, David (February 24, 2017). "So why is an AIDS nonprofit suing to halt construction and pushing for Measure S?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 25, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
Opponents of Measure S accuse Weinstein of using millions in nonprofit money to pursue a personal grudge over a building that would block his office views. Weinstein, they say, is just another NIMBY obstructionist, restricting the supply of new housing and jacking up rents across the city...."Measure S is a blatant abuse of the resources of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, considering it has absolutely nothing to do with the mission of the organization," said Eisman, who worked closely with the foundation as part of a volunteer group until 2015. ... In an interview with The Times, Weinstein refused to say whether his nonprofit is bankrolling a lawsuit by Friends of the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative seeking to overturn the city's approval of a 1,210-unit residential complex on Jefferson Boulevard. Weinstein also would not disclose whether his group is paying for a legal challenge against the Martin Cadillac project, which would bring offices, stores and 516 apartments to Olympic Boulevard on the Westside. In addition, he declined to say how many lawsuits over L.A. real estate development his group is funding. "Whatever we're doing is between us and our lawyers," he said.
- ^ "World's Largest AIDS Organization Just Flushed Millions Down the Toilet". www.advocate.com. March 8, 2017. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ a b Zahniser, David (January 3, 2022). "L.A. has a new plan for creating more housing. An AIDS nonprofit wants it thrown out". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022.
AIDS Healthcare has a track record of challenging planning decisions at City Hall. It backed a ballot measure in 2017 to place new limits on large-scale development projects, which voters defeated. The group has also attempted to block the construction of high-rises in Hollywood, downtown and elsewhere.
- ^ a b c d e f g Ocamb, Karen (December 6, 2019). "Special Report: The arc of Michael Weinstein's moral outrage from AIDS to homelessness". Los Angeles Blade: LGBTQ News, Rights, Politics, Entertainment. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
Weinstein has been excoriated for calling PrEP a "party drug," which was translated into his opposition to the drug. In fact, AHF dispenses PrEP after a medical checkup to ensure the client should take it and is advised about side-effects and accompanying condom use.
- ^ a b Jr, Lou Chibbaro (September 28, 2023). "AIDS Healthcare Foundation celebrates opening of new D.C. healthcare center". www.washingtonblade.com. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
- ^ a b Glazek, Christopher (April 26, 2017). "The C.E.O. of H.I.V." The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- ^ "Mina Meyer Obituary (1940 - 2016) - Long Beach, CA - Los Angeles Times". Legacy.com. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- ^ https://ahftimeline.org/fight-for-the-living/ Archived September 23, 2018, at the Wayback Machine "AHF Timeline 1983 to 1999"
- ^ Los Angeles County Commission on AIDS (HIV), Official Government Website
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- ^ a b c Glazek, Christopher (April 26, 2017). "The C.E.O. of H.I.V." The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
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- ^ "2014 Rose Parade: Winners, highlights and more (photos)". LAist - NPR News for Southern California - 89.3 FM. January 1, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ "2014 Rose Parade: Winners, highlights and more (photos)". LAist - NPR News for Southern California - 89.3 FM. January 1, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ "An LA group pulled its float out of the 2024 Rose Parade. Mickey Mouse is partly to blame". Pasadena Star News. December 9, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
- ^ "Keep The Promise: The Global Fight Against AIDS". Vail Film Festival. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
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- ^ Hesse, Bob (October 24, 2004). "Zambia: First lady launches, dedicates Army AIDS center". Caring Magazine. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
- ^ "New Partnership Opens HIV/AIDS Clinic in Ugandan Market To Provide Antiretroviral Treatment at No Cost to Vendors". KFF Health News. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
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- ^ a b Times, Bob Pool Bob Pool retired in 2014 from the Los Angeles; since 1983, where he had been a general assignment reporter on the Metro staff (August 17, 2001). "Helping Africa in the AIDS Struggle". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
{{cite web}}
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- ^ "India gets its first free condom store". DNA India. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
- ^ www.ETHealthworld.com. "40% of 21 lakh estimated HIV positives are women: Dr V Sam Prasad, AHF - ET HealthWorld". ETHealthworld.com. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
- ^ a b "PAHO implements new initiative to eliminate HIV/AIDS in LAC". Jamaica Observer. May 2, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
- ^ a b Sami, Isabel. "AHF buys Leland Hotel to redevelop as affordable housing". The Business Journals. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
- ^ "AIDS Healthcare Foundation Says It Will Modify Design For Low-Income Housing In Fort Lauderdale". WLRN. February 18, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
- ^ Levin, Matt (May 3, 2019). "Rent control firebrand has no regrets". CalMatters. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
- ^ a b "After a Pair of Failures at the Ballot Box, Michael Weinstein Still Has Affordable Housing on His Agenda". LAmag - Culture, Food, Fashion, News & Los Angeles. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
- ^ Hoberman, Natalie (October 9, 2017). "AHF | Healthy Housing Foundation | Affordable housing". The Real Deal. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
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- ^ Bandell, Brian. "Nonprofit proposes affordable apartments in Miami. All the details. (Photos)". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ a b c "AIDS Healthcare vowed to do homeless housing better. Tenants say it's a 'slumlord'". Los Angeles Times. March 8, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
- ^ a b "Inside the financial ties between a controversial housing nonprofit and Kevin de León". Los Angeles Times. March 10, 2023.
- ^ a b c Dillon, Liam; Oreskes, Benjamin; Smith, Doug (January 20, 2023). "A powerful nonprofit owns apartments for poor tenants. Why are some tenants trapped in their rooms?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
- ^ Bailey, Jeremy (January 26, 2023). "LA Times Reporter Admonishes Critical, Full-Page Ad". TheWrap. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ a b "Inside the financial ties between a controversial housing nonprofit and Kevin de León". Los Angeles Times. March 10, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
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- ^ Emmanson, Jerry (December 1, 2022). "World AIDS Day: UNICEF, AHF Want More Investment In Youths". Leadership News. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
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- ^ Guerra, Joey. "Janet Jackson gets 'together again' with Houston for sold-out World AIDS Day concert". The Houston Chronicle.
- ^ Digital, FOX 26 (December 2, 2023). "Janet Jackson performs at World AIDS Day concert in Houston". FOX 26 Houston. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
{{cite web}}
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- ^ a b Staff, T. R. D. (March 13, 2023). "Did de León, AIDS Healthcare have improper relationship?". The Real Deal. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ "Thousands march in Fort Lauderdale against 'hateful' laws, Gov. DeSantis". WLRN. July 2, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ Jaquith • •, Olivia (July 2, 2023). "Thousands gather for Fort Lauderdale 'We The People' march". NBC 6 South Florida. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ "Thousands march in Fort Lauderdale against 'hateful' laws, Gov. DeSantis". WLRN. July 2, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ Conway, Jeff (December 2, 2021). "Hollywood Headliners Show Up Big For World AIDS Day". Forbes. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- ^ Welle, Deutsche (February 13, 2023). "International Condom Day: A brief history of rubbers". Hindustan Times. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
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- ^ "World Condom Day: Foundation distributes 1.5m pieces". The Nation. February 13, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- ^ Simon, Stephanie (February 10, 2023). "Foundation advocates the use of condom against sexually transmitted Infections". Voice of Nigeria. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
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- ^ a b c d Barro, Josh (November 16, 2014). "AIDS Group Wages Lonely Fight Against Pill to Prevent H.I.V." The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
As for driving people away from condoms, the iPrEx researchers have found that giving people Truvada has not led to riskier behaviors. That's surprising, but it's explained in part by the fact that baseline condom use among gay men is already often poor, PrEP or no PrEP. While Mr. Weinstein and his foundation worry about damage to the condom culture, the failure of a condom culture to stop the epidemic among gay and bisexual men is one of the main reasons H.I.V. professionals are excited about PrEP.
- ^ a b "After a Pair of Failures at the Ballot Box, Michael Weinstein Still Has Affordable Housing on His Agenda". LAmag - Culture, Food, Fashion, News & Los Angeles. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
In the court of public opinion, Weinstein is still slammed for calling the HIV prevention drug PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) a "party drug," which people thought unfairly stigmatized the treatment. In fact, AHF dispenses PrEP after a medical checkup to ensure the client should take it and is advised about side effects and accompanying condom use, per medical protocol.
- ^ Staff reports (March 9, 2022). "AIDS Healthcare Foundation opens first Healthcare Center in Virginia". www.washingtonblade.com. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- ^ "AIDS Healthcare Foundation Files Additional Lawsuits Against Gilead over TDF Toxicity Concerns". BioSpace. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
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- ^ "Boehringer Ingelheim, Gilead Agree to AIDS Drug Price Freeze | Business Wire". www.businesswire.com. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
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- ^ Taylor, Nick Paul. "AIDS advocates say 'No Way O'Day' as yearlong attack on Gilead's 'profiteering' gets personal". Fierce Pharma.
- ^ Hassell, John (August 8, 2023). "Don't believe drug companies: 340B is a program worth saving". The Hill. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ "Archives". Los Angeles Times. May 11, 1999.
- ^ a b McDonald, Patrick Range (January 28, 2010). "Rubbers Revolutionary: AIDS Healthcare Foundation's Michael Weinstein". LA Weekly. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
- ^ O'Neill, Stephanie (October 12, 2012). "Los Angeles Measure B: Mandating Condom Use in Adult Films". The California Report. KQED. Archived from the original on February 11, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
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- ^ "U.S. Court throws out AIDS Healhcare Foundation suit against L.A. County". Los Angeles Daily News. February 13, 2014.
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- ^ "Measure B: Safer sex in the adult film industry". VotersEdge. October 22, 2012. Archived from the original on April 6, 2013.
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As of February 1, 2017, the support campaign for this initiative raised $5,047,809.19, more than nine times what the opposition campaign had raised. Support - One hundred percent of the total contributions in support of this initiative were in-state donations provided by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
- ^ a b "Prescription Drug Purchasing, Proposition D (November 2013)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
- ^ "California Proposition 61, Drug Price Standards (2016)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
Proposition 61 fueled the most expensive ballot measure battle in California and the nation in 2016. As of February 1, 2017, the opposition campaign, backed by several large pharmaceutical companies, received almost six times the contributions provided to the support campaign. No on Prop 61 raised $109,106,160.61, while Yes on Prop 61 and Consumer Watchdog - Yes on 61 received $19,170,609.60.
- ^ Sernoffsky, Evan (November 9, 2016). "California voters reject drug-price measure Prop 61". SFGate. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
- ^ a b "Ohio Issue 2, Drug Price Standards Initiative (2017)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ "AHF: Advocates Submit 171,205 Signatures for 2016 Drug Pricing Ballot Measure in Ohio". Business Wire. December 22, 2015. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
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And two of the biggest spenders are familiar foes, already locked in a legal battle over a Hollywood building project.
Real estate development company Crescent Heights has been at odds with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation over its plans to build two towers next to the foundation headquarters on Sunset Boulevard. So far, Crescent Heights has contributed more than $2.5 million to oppose Measure S. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, in turn, has chipped in more than $5.5 million to support it.
- ^ "Los Angeles County Election Results". Los Angeles County Clerk's Office. March 7, 2017. Archived from the original on May 3, 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
- ^ Chandler, Jenna (March 7, 2017). "A decisive defeat for Measure S: LA voters reject anti-development measure". Curbed LA. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
- ^ Reyes, Emily Alpert; Poston, Ben; Zahniser, David (March 8, 2017). "Measure S defeated after a heated, costly battle over future L.A. development". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
- ^ Weinstein, Michael (March 2, 2017). "Why the AIDS Healthcare Foundation is behind Measure S". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
- ^ Phillips, Shane (January 17, 2017). "Don't listen to the backers of Measure S. Los Angeles isn't overdeveloped; we're in a housing slump". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 26, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ The Times Editorial Board (February 25, 2017). "An AIDS advocacy foundation is bankrolling L.A.'s draconian anti-development measure. How is this social justice?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
... the AIDS Healthcare Foundation has never been a significant voice advocating for more affordable housing and homeless housing in L.A. Nor has the group played a role in planning and land-use issues — at least not until a developer proposed building two 30-story towers right next to Weinstein's office.
- ^ a b c Broverman, Neal (January 13, 2016). "AHF's Michael Weinstein Has a New Fight, and It's Not About HIV". The Advocate (LGBT magazine).
- ^ a b c Broverman, Neal (March 8, 2017). "World's Largest AIDS Organization Just Flushed Millions Down the Toilet - The AIDS Healthcare Foundation poured $5.5 million into a Los Angeles ballot initiative that has little to do with HIV. After AHF's measure went down in flames Tuesday, the organization has some explaining to do". The Advocate (LGBT magazine).
- ^ "AHF's Michael Weinstein Has a New Fight, and It's Not About HIV". www.advocate.com. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
- ^ a b "California Proposition 10, Local Rent Control Initiative (2018)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
- ^ Murphy, Katy (November 6, 2018). "California's rent-control measure defeated". San Jose Mercury News. Archived from the original on November 17, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
- ^ "State Ballot Measures" (PDF). Secretary of State of California. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 8, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
State Totals 4,949,543 7,251,443 Percent 40.6% 59.4%
- ^ a b c d Dillon, Liam (October 8, 2019). "California will limit rent increases under bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom". Los Angeles Times.
The Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation is currently collecting signatures for a measure to appear on the November 2020 statewide ballot that would, among other things, limit how much a landlord could increase rents when a new tenant moves in — something now prohibited under state law. Michael Weinstein, the foundation's president, opposed the rent cap legislation because he believed its protections were inadequate.
- ^ "Qualified Statewide Ballot Measures". Secretary of State of California. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
- ^ "California Local Rent Control Initiative (2020)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
The ballot measure would have required local governments that adopt rent control to allow landlords to increase rental rates by 15 percent during the first three years following a vacancy.
- ^ Menezes, Ryan; Moore, Maloy; Do, Phi (November 3, 2020). "Billions have been spent on California's ballot measure battles. But this year is unlike any other". Los Angeles Times.
Proposition 21 - $125,436,982 - Supporters $40M - Supporters AIDS Healthcare Foundation $40,187,371 California Nurses Assn. $50,000 California Democratic Party $27,025
- ^ Hooks, Chris Nichols, Kris. "What We Know About California Proposition Results". www.capradio.org. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
{{cite web}}
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