Empowering Communities to Make Housing More Affordable
California's lack of affordable housing
Last year, California funded only 12% of the 120,000 affordable homes we need to create each year to meet demand. This lack of affordable housing is:
- Fueling our homelessness crisis
- Hurting our workforce and economy
- Straining family budgets
- Pushing younger generations to seek affordable living in other states
State law hinders local solutions
Voters in communities throughout California are strongly supportive of creating affordable new housing in their communities, but state law makes it difficult for them to approve local housing and infrastructure bonds. We need to change that.
A local, accountable approach to addressing California’s housing crisis
Our coalition supports legislation to put an initiative on the statewide ballot in 2024 to make it easier for voters in communities to approve local affordable housing and infrastructure bonds, provided those bonds contain strict accountability and oversight. The bonds could fund:
- Affordable new housing for low- and middle-income families, veterans and seniors.
- First-time homebuyer assistance.
- Permanent supportive housing with services for people who are homeless.
- Improvements to roads and highways.
- Public transit, like buses and commuter trains.
- Fire stations, fire engines and ambulances
Our growing coalition
How you can help
In September 2023, the state Legislature passed ACA 1 which would lower the threshold to pass local housing and infrastructure bonds to 55%. This was an amazing first step, but clean-up legislation is needed to ensure the measure that goes before voters is strong, effective and empowers communities to meet all their housing needs.
But we can’t do it without you. Join the coalition now, share your affordable housing story, or sign up to receive updates about our efforts.