The Rent Control fight.
Two committees formed around the 2026 referendum on Salinas’s rent stabilization ordinance. Compare who’s funding each side, donor by donor.
UDR, Inc. — a publicly-traded apartment REIT — gave $39,125 to the anti-rent-control side. That single check is 73% of all anti-referendum fundraising. The pro side raised less total, but from 71 donors instead of 16.
What your vote means
This is a referendum on the council’s June 2025 repeal of Salinas’s rent stabilization package, so the meaning of yes/no is the reverse of what many expect:
Approves the council’s repeal. The four renter protections — the 2.75% rent cap, just-cause eviction, anti-harassment, and the rental registry — are permanently removed. (The landlord-side “Protect Salinas Residents” committee urges YES.)
Rejects the council’s repeal. The four renter protections stay in effect. (The tenant-side “Protect Salinas Renters” committee urges NO.)