Asia Duffie (she/her) serves as a lead faith organizer at Fair Count, a Georgia-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering historically undercounted rural communities of color. For the National Equity Atlas Fellowship project, she developed an interactive dashboard that highlights crucial data insights into the digital divide prevalent in rural communities throughout Georgia, accompanied by compelling narratives advocating for policy reforms and investments to enhance internet access and digital equity.

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The City of Salinas is working on a rental stabilization ordinance. This fact sheet provides a comprehensive overview of housing affordability in Salinas, highlighting the housing and economic challenges renters face.

Key Findings

• More than half (53 percent) of households in Salinas are renters, a proportion that has grown significantly over the years.
• With rents increasing at a rate much faster than incomes, many renters are struggling to afford their housing costs.
• As a result, a majority (52 percent) of the city's renters are now considered rent-burdened, spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing.
• Rent affordability is a racial and gender equity issue, with people of color, especially women of color, more likely to be renters and rent-burdened.
• If renters only paid what they could afford, each rent-burdened household would save a yearly average of $8,300.

About the Salinas Rental Stabilization Ordinance

If passed, the ordinance drafted by the Salinas Housing & Land Use Committee will:
• Implement reasonable rent stabilization,
• Provide protections against arbitrary and unjust evictions,
• Ensure healthy living conditions for renters, and
• Prevent tenant harassment.

Additional Information

• Learn more at tinyurl.com/salinasrenters.

Partners

This fact sheet was created by the Bay Area Equity Atlas — a partnership between the San Francisco Foundation, PolicyLink, and the USC Equity Research Institute. It was developed to support the housing advocacy efforts of Public Advocates and BHC Monterey County, a member of the Salinas Coalition for Housing Rights.

This fact sheet provides a comprehensive overview of housing affordability in Redwood City, highlighting the housing and economic challenges renters face. It highlights an upcoming ballot measure, including a proposed fair and affordable housing ordinance, and underscores the importance of local policies that protect renters and stabilize housing costs.

Key Findings

• More than half (52 percent) of households in Redwood City are renters, a proportion that has grown significantly over the years.
• With rents increasing at a rate much faster than incomes, many renters are struggling to afford their housing costs.
• As a result, nearly half (49 percent) of the city's renters are now considered rent-burdened, spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing.
• Rent affordability is a racial and gender equity issue, with people of color, especially women of color, more likely to be renters and rent-burdened.
• If renters only paid what they could afford, each rent-burdened household would save a yearly average of $15,300. 

About the Redwood City Fair and Affordable Housing Ordinance

Faith in Action Bay Area leaders and community allies are working to pass the Redwood City Fair and Affordable Housing Ordinance for the November 2024 ballot. If passed, this grassroots ballot measure will:
• Implement reasonable rent stabilization,
• Provide protections against arbitrary and unjust evictions,
• Ensure healthy living conditions for renters,
• Prevent tenant harassment, and
• Establish a city-run rent program for transparent oversight.

Additional Information

• Learn more and get involved at affordableredwoodcity.com.
• Follow the campaign on Instagram at @affordableredwoodcity.

Partners

This fact sheet was created by the Bay Area Equity Atlas — a partnership between the San Francisco Foundation, PolicyLink, and the USC Equity Research Institute. It was developed to support the housing advocacy efforts of Public Advocates, Faith in Action Bay Area, and Affordable Redwood City.

The consolidated financial statements of PolicyLink and PolicyLink Equity Action Network include the independent auditor’s report, the consolidated statement of financial position as of December 31, 2023, the related consolidated statements of activities, functional expenses, and cash flows for the year then ended, and the related notes to the consolidated financial statements.