Housing measures appeared on ballots nationwide this election cycle, marking this issue’s importance to voters. Now, with another Trump presidency, we may see the return of rollbacks of fair housing protections and other proposed restrictions from his first term.
With an uncertain federal landscape on fair housing issues, it’ll be up to state and local policymakers and advocates to make changes for their communities.
Urban researchers looked at the outcomes of 12 state and local ballot measures that could inform strategies for state and local policymakers and advocates. They find that though affordable housing received broad support, it was not universal, but renter protections and support for the unhoused were widely received when packaged with affordable housing strategies.
The future of affordable housing is unclear, so state governments and advocates are going to be critical to ensuring lesser-resourced communities are equipped with the funding they need to increase housing affordability and stability for their residents.
