Proposition 33, the rent control statewide ballot measure, is rejected by California voters

California voters on Tuesday rejected an effort to allow stronger rent control laws in California, the third time such a measure was turned down in recent years.

Proposition 33 would have allowed cities and counties to pass stricter rent control laws than they can now.

The Associated Press declared defeat for the ballot measure late Tuesday night.

A state law known as the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act bans localities from capping rent on vacant units, single-family homes and apartments built after Feb. 1, 1995, or earlier in some cases. Proposition 33 would have overturned that law.

The measure was put forth by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which bankrolled two similar initiatives in recent years that were also rejected after the real estate industry outspent supporters, contending that the measures would tank housing construction and make the affordability crisis worse.

Seeking to stop further rent control initiatives, the California Apartment Assn. sponsored another measure on the ballot, Proposition 34. That measure would limit how certain healthcare providers spend revenues from a federal prescription drug program, with the most obvious target being the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

As of Tuesday night, the vote on Proposition 34 was too close to call.