Tenant advocates in San Pablo have submitted over 1,500 signatures to the city, initiating a ballot measure that aims to implement rent control and enhance renter protections. This development is part of a larger trend in the Bay Area, where similar ballot box campaigns have been launched by renter and landlord groups in Berkeley, Concord, Redwood City, Pittsburg, and Larkspur. These initiatives follow the expiration of pandemic eviction moratoriums and rental assistance programs, leaving many residents facing affordability challenges amid the region’s astronomical housing costs.