Midterm Elections Result in Local Affordable Housing Victories

The midterm election saw voters weigh in on 155 separate state and local ballot measures, many of which were designed to provide critical funding for affordable housing. Among the notable measures to pass were Propositions 1 and 2 in California: Proposition 1 authorized $4 billion in bonds to be spent on affordable housing and veterans’ homeownership, while Proposition 2 allocates $2 billion to provide services for homeless populations with serious mental illness. In Oregon, voters approved changing the state constitution to allow local governments to use bond money in partnerships with private business and nonprofits to build affordable housing; in Portland, Oregon, voters authorized $652 million in bonds for affordable housing; and in Austin, Texas, voters authorized $250 million in bonds for affordable housing. For more information about state and local ballot measures, see Enterprise State and Local Policy Director Flora Arabo’s in-depth round up of housing-related ballot measures from across the nation.