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Despite some $55 million property owners poured into defeating Measure Y, the law was leading at 1 a.m. with 56.4 percent in favor to the no group’s 43.5 percent. The new law will protect senior, disabled and long-term renters. 

Measure Y will amend the Berkeley rent ordinance to restrict a landlord’s ability to evict tenants by owner-occupancy move ins when the landlord owns a comparable unit. It will also prohibit the eviction of some elderly and disabled tenants and provide moving costs of $4,500 for some low-income tenants. 

The measure was the subject of controversy during in the last days of the campaign because of questionable fliers issued without return addresses by the No on Y Committee. 

In addition campaign workers for the No on Y Committee were calling Berkeley residents representing themselves as members the League of Women Voters and asking them to vote no on the measure, when they were not. 

Larry Buchaulter, a paraplegic and campaign worker for the Committee to Defend Affordable Housing, which campaigned for the measure, said Berkeley is a special place and has become even more special. “Here we have the advantage of being able to access schools, book stores, hospitals and progressive politics,” he said. “Measure Y will go a long way to protecting those things.” 

At the same time, the four pro-rent control candidates were leading: Matthew Siegel had 24.4 percent of the vote, Max Anderson had 20.1 percent, Paul Hogarth had 21.6 percent. It appeared that property owner representative Peggy Schioler had received 14.9 percent and would not be seated on the board.