Value of Self Storage Tool Kit 

CSSA’s Fight to Curb Local Initiatives Harmful to Self Storage

WE NEED YOUR HELP to preserve California’s self storage industry!

What's Included: 

• How to use the toolkit to communicate with decision makers
• FAQs
• Factsheet - Helping Small Business
• Factsheet - Meeting CA Needs
• Factsheet - Good Neighbors
• Material to Leave Behind with Local Decision Makers
• OnePager - Small Business Support
• CSSA PowerPoint Template for Members to Personalize

To help CSSA continue to fight for Self Storage consider donating to the Local Initiative Fund: LIF Information Page 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

With all the increased laws and regulations that California implements, we all know how hard it is to maintain a successful self storage business today. Recently, self storage has become the target of local municipalities for increased draconian regulations and even moratoriums – and it is spreading to more and more cities throughout the state. Not to be overly dramatic, but self storage is under attack!

These laws and regulations not only curtail or eliminate future development but hurt the entire industry, including those that currently own facilities where they are being passed. It’s called “non-conforming” – which means that if you want to remodel, expand, or re-build after a disaster, you will have to abide by these new regulations, or not be allowed to do so in the case where a moratorium has been implemented.

As your professional trade association, dedicated to helping preserve and ensure a healthy self storage industry in California, CSSA has expanded our legislative and advocacy efforts. Working closely with SSA (National Association) we have a lobbyist in Sacramento to help on statewide issues. However, SSA does not assist with local issues, so it is up to CSSA to fight this battle. CSSA’s Legislative & Legal Committee has grown to 18 dedicated volunteers, and the association is dedicating significant resources, time, and budget to combat the spread of these restrictions.

To combat this movement, CSSA realizes that we need to meet these challenges on the local level – to work with Planning/Zoning Commissions and City Councils before these law/regulations are drafted. We have developed a 4-pronged grass-roots plan:

1. Identify - municipalities where these restrictions are being considered – CSSA now has a software program using AI to identify in real-time where these rules are being considered by planning commissions or city councils
2. Contact - owners of local self storage who can meet with decision-makers on local level – CSSA is developing one of the most extensive lists of all self storage in California, identifying owners of these facilities, along with contact information
3. Information – provide easy-to-use information to help convince local decision-makers of the value of self storage - CSSA has developed the PR Toolkit, downloadable in a zip file to assist in this effort
4. Support – provide additional support to combat this, if necessary – CSSA is gathering a list of attorneys (specializing in areas such as land use, etc.), PR firms, and influencers who can help beyond our capabilities as well as setting up our Local Initiatives Fund (LIF), with donations from the industry to help support this effort

CSSA has developed a downloadable “Toolkit” to help show the value of self storage in any community. With the help of a professional Public Relations firm, we have devoted many hours collecting visuals, and testimonials, honing multiple messages to answer concerns and debunk misinformation about self storage. It is a positive, professional kit with a variety of tools that anyone could use in any situation.

Thank you,
Steve Mirabito – CSSA Legislative & Legal Committee Chair
Owner – StoragePro