Dear friends,

We just won some major victories for housing. Now we need your help to win another – and make it easier to fund publicly-subsidized affordable housing.

This week, the legislature passed most of California YIMBY’s priority housing bills – bills that will put us one step closer to addressing our state’s housing shortage and affordability crisis:

SB 4, making it easier for churches to build housing on their property
SB 423, streamlining production of low- and middle-income housing
AB 835, updating standards to legalize more family-sized apartments
AB 976, extending incentives for building ADUs

California YIMBY members like you made these victories possible by calling, emailing, and meeting with your legislators – you’re the hero of this story.

But our work isn't done.

We still need to pass ACA 1, which will change state law by giving voters more authority to approve funding for affordable housing. Under current law, a ballot measure to raise money for housing, or any other vital public infrastructure, must receive 66% of the vote to pass – a rule that is fundamentally un-democratic: Just 35% of voters can determine the outcome, over the wishes of 65% of the electorate.

ACA 1 will lower the voter threshold to fund publicly-subsidized affordable housing projects and local infrastructure bonds to 55% of voters. If the legislature passes ACA 1, the voters would then have to approve this change to the state constitution.

ACA 1 passed the Assembly with broad support, and made it through its key Senate Committees. But it still has to pass the State Senate, and some legislators are hesitating out of fears they’ll be criticized by groups who oppose affordable housing funds. We need your help to show them that their constituents support this proposal ahead of the Senate floor vote.

Send a message today directly to your State Senator: vote YES on ACA 1 to help fund affordable housing!

SEND A MESSAGE >>

Outdated rules make it impossible for a majority of voters to approve the funds we desperately need to build more subsidized affordable housing. That's because of an unusual requirement in the California Constitution that requires a supermajority vote – or 2/3rds vote – on local measures to raise money for housing.

Many efforts to raise funds for affordable housing have "failed," even though they get 55% to 65% of voters to support them – an amount of support that would be considered a landslide in a more fair, democratic system. And communities across the state have suffered as a result.

ACA 1 will correct this by allowing the electorate to approve funding with 55% of the vote.

Advocates and local elected officials have said for decades that the lack of adequate funding for affordable housing is a significant barrier to producing the housing we urgently need.

ACA 1 gives local governments and their communities a realistic path to secure billions of dollars for more affordable housing, while also addressing gaps in the local infrastructure, like transit, safe streets, and other public amenities.

As YIMBYs, we want to make it easier to take action at the local level to fund affordable housing and infrastructure upgrades in our communities. If ACA 1 doesn’t pass, voters won't get that chance – and local governments that want more affordable housing will struggle to find the money they need to build it.

So, ACA 1 faces a key vote this week, and we need your help to ensure its passage. Will you send a message to your State Senator right now and urge them to help fund public housing by passing ACA 1?

Thank you for speaking out in support of this important proposal. Your ongoing support and activism is how we'll make California more affordable and accessible for everyone.

Gratefully,

Matthew

Matthew Lewis
Communications Director
California YIMBY

California YIMBY is a movement dedicated to ending our state’s housing crisis and building a more inclusive, affordable, and accessible state for ALL Californians. If you were forwarded this email, you can join our movement here. DONATE NOW » Want to keep track of housing issues and the YIMBY movement? Sign up for the HomeWork, our newsletter here.

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