Editorial: Californians say ‘yes’ to housing measures. Mostly.
A majority of Californians who voted in favor of various housing initiatives on Tuesday passed measures that, in effect, would prevent California from getting even more of its housing built in the near term. Instead, a variety of housing initiatives put a stake in the ground for a discussion of other critical housing and economic issues.
These measures, which are all part of Proposition 13, would have limited the state’s ability to borrow money for its housing construction. At the same time, Proposition 13 would have limited what cities and counties could charge for local services, such as affordable housing.
This is the third time that California voters have put initiatives on the ballot that would reduce the supply of housing and thus stimulate affordable housing. The first two successful initiatives were initiatives that repealed Proposition 13 more than 30 years ago. The third measure, this year’s Proposition 13, would have the same result.
This year’s Proposition 13 ballot measures were proposed by the California Apartment Association, which represents thousands of apartment owners and managers statewide, and by state Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima). State Senator Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) has been a leading opponent of Proposition 13 and a proponent of stronger local control of housing.
The ballot issues are:
Proposition A: In an effort to give more Californians more housing, the California Apartment Association wanted to enact Proposition A, which would make it more difficult for California’s cities and counties to expand affordable housing on their own through the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda. Proposition A would have limited any increases in the amount of housing for low- and moderate-income people, the percentage of homes under construction that are affordable, and the percentage of people living in California in a county with an affordable housing supply.
Proposition B: In an effort to give more Californians more housing, the California Apartment Association wanted to enact Proposition B, which would make it more difficult for California’s cities and counties to expand their housing production through the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda. Proposition B would have limited local governments’