| | Dear John, Election Day is finally here and I wanted to take a minute to make sure you have everything you need as you get ready to vote today (Already voted? High five! Please FWD this email to someone who needs it!). NPH is committed to keeping you updated as election results roll in, as it remains uncertain how soon final results will be known. Look out for all our post-election updates, including analysis, in your inbox in the days and weeks to come. |
| Voting Reminders/Resources |
| I know you don’t need me to convince you what’s at stake in this election. As we face an uncertain federal landscape, state and local measures focused on housing and racial justice become even more critical. Below you’ll find all the details you need on NPH’s official endorsements. Keep this email handy for quick reference and stay safe as you head the polls today! |
| | Vote YES on Proposition 15 (Schools and Communities First), which will provide between $6.4 billion to $11.5 billion in additional funding to local schools and governments. Why: Wealthy corporations continue to avoid paying their fair share as local governments struggle to provide meaningful support to their communities. Prop 15 creates billions in revenues for local governments and schools by closing tax loopholes which have primarily benefited California’s most expensive nonresidential commercial properties. This, in turn, would incentivize development of underutilized and underdeveloped property, some of which could be for multifamily housing. Help Pass Prop 15! |
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| | Vote YES on Proposition 16 (Repeal of Ban Affirmative Action), which will reinstate affirmative action in the state by repealing 1996’s Prop 209. Why: NPH believes in giving everyone, regardless of race or gender, an equal shot at fair wages, good jobs, and quality schools. But we’re not there yet. Women and people of color still face discrimination in hiring, employment, contracting, and education. Women in California are paid less than 80 cents for every dollar a white man makes – and women of color even less. By ending California’s ban on affirmative action, Prop 16 levels the playing field so we can all succeed. Help Pass Prop 16! |
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| | Vote YES on Alameda Measure W (Alameda County Home Together), which will provide a half cent general sales tax that will raise ~$150 million a year for 10 years. Why: Very low-income individuals and families already at risk of becoming homeless are most vulnerable during our COVID-19 public health crisis. Measure W will help keep people who are at risk of homelessness in their homes and shelter people who are without a home, with the goal of altogether preventing local residents from becoming homeless in the first place. Help Pass Measure W! |
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| | Vote YES on Sonoma County Measure O, which will provide Sonoma County residents with essential mental health and homelessness services. Why: Measure O provides locally controlled funding to keep our community, particularly children, veterans, seniors, those experiencing homelessness and those with mental health or substance use challenges, safe and healthy in the wake of the pandemic and beyond. Voting YES on O provides dedicated funding to ease the burden on emergency services and our healthcare systems, and keep those in need of mental health services out of the jail. Help Pass Measure O! |
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| | Vote NO on City of San Mateo Measure Y, an exclusionary zoning policy that would limit how many homes can be built on a piece of land to the detriment of special needs or supportive affordable housing. Why: Measure Y has taken many forms in San Mateo for almost 30 years, and now this exclusionary policy is on the ballot again. Measure Y has silently and insidiously prevented affordable housing from being built by forcing many housing developers to build fewer, but much larger units marketed as luxury apartments. Learn more about Measure Y |
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| | Vote YES on East Palo Alto Measure V, which would help fund affordable housing acquisition, redevelopment, and rehabilitation by raising new revenue with a modest increase on the hotel stay tax. Why: East Palo Alto’s Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) has not been raised in 20 years. In San Francisco and Oakland, that tax is 14%. Right now, in East Palo Alto, it’s 12%. If Measure V passes, East Palo Alto’s tax would rise to 14% by 2023. Current and future development projects proposed would increase demand for hotels and short term rentals, and passing something now before any of these projects are approved would ensure greater funds for community benefits. Help Pass Measure V! |
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| I sincerely appreciate everything you do to make affordable housing a priority. I will be thinking about our movement today and how we’ve stood together to make real change in our communities. Regardless of the outcome this election, I know the future holds real progress if we remain steadfast and united. Onward, |
| | JR Starrett, NPH Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement |
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| JOIN US & SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING POLICIES! Your membership also includes member-only exclusives, discounts on industry networking & training events, & workshops! Your dues directly support our work to win funding and policies so everyone in the Bay Area can have a safe, stable affordable home and advance racial equity Join the vibrant NPH community today! |
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| | Contact Us NPH 369 PINE STREET, SUITE 350 SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104 |
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