Read Mayor Steinberg's proposal to stabilize rents in Sacramento

Mayor Darrell Steinberg Tuesday urged his colleagues to take action to help Sacramentans being hurt by high rent increases. 

The Council chambers was packed with supporters and opponents of rent control. Mayor Steinberg laid out a proposal that would impose a temporary cap of 5 percent on rent increases for three years. It would not apply to units constructed in the next 20 years. The mayor also proposed a series of measures to speed construction of affordable housing.

"There has got to be some practical middle ground," Mayor Steinberg told his colleagues. He noted that Sacramento's eviction rate is more than twice as high as the state average and five times as high as the eviction rate in cities with rent control, such as San Jose and Oakland.

"We have a responsibility to make sure we don't stifle economic growth in the city and at the same time we help the people that are hurting," he said. "If we can't figure this out together, we aren't working hard enough."

Here is the proposal Mayor Steinberg made at the City Council Tuesday evening.

Earlier in the day, Councilmembers Steve Hansen, Eric Guerra and Rick Jennings unveiled their own proposal to address rising rents. It does not include a rent cap. It would require landlords to offer 18-month leases. Read more about it here.