Victory -- Voters Pass Prop 1C!

On November 7, 2006, California voters approved Prop 1C, the $2.85 billion housing bond by a margin of 58-42%. As we look ahead to building support for affordable housing and an eventual state housing trust fund, we’re encouraged by the PROP 1C victory in two other ways. First, across (7) counties that had previously been opposed to Prop 46 have now come out in support of PROP 1C: Lake, Butte, Madera, Tulare, Kings, Kern, and San Luis Obispo. Secondly, it is especially encouraging to note the narrowing of the opposition from 4 years ago: of the 23 counties that votes against PROP 1C, the measure trailed by more than 1,000 votes in only 6 of them.

CHC worked in partnership with Housing California to co-direct the YES on PROP 1C campaign and several of our board members played key roles, including: Carol Galante (BRIDGE Housing), Dianne Spaulding (NPH), Allan Kingston (Century Housing), Laura Archuleta (Jamboree Housing), and Linda Mandolini (Eden Housing), among others. CHC Executive Director Jeff Loustau served as Treasurer for the campaign coordinating a statewide fundraising committee that brought in $2.35MM in the six months leading up to the November election; this funding, together with an additional $1.6MM raised among housing interests on behalf of the united Rebuild California campaign made the difference in getting the message out to the electorate.

And while we’re extremely pleased that the compelling message of ‘housing for those in need’ enabled the catalytic housing programs under Prop 46 to be sustained, for CHC’s ‘big tent’ membership the fact that PROP 1C includes funding for low-and-moderate income households is very significant and represents a critical opportunity. Setting aside 750MM for affordable homeownership as well as $1.35 billion in incentivizing funding for transit-oriented, infill development, and housing-related park and infrastructure improvements means providing more housing choice to working families. It also is a crucial opportunity to bring the message home to the broad electorate and business interests both inside and outside the housing industry that affordable housing is everyone’s issue.

For more information on the YES on PROP 1C campaign itself, please visit: www.homes4ca.org