HOUSING AT THE BALLOT

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Wednesday, November 14

BUILDING MOMENTUM AT THE BALLOT

California and the Bay Area secured significant wins for affordable housing investments at the ballot this November, building momentum for our issue and communities. Thanks to deep strategy, commitment, leadership, and hard work from the NPH community, and strong partnership at the state and local levels, we have achieved great success together. From our electoral wins in Bay Area Counties in 2015 and 2016 to our historic state legislative housing package in 2017 to this November's results winning over $6 billion of new funding for affordable housing, our movement is growing power and making progress!

While elections offices continue to tally final votes from last Tuesday, the results have already demonstrated that voters remained clear and consistently in support of affordable housing solutions. Voters passed several dedicated affordable housing revenue measures - including the statewide Props 1 and 2, Berkeley Measure O, and San Francisco Prop C - as well as over a dozen shared revenue measures that can provide funding for affordable housing. These measures will create new opportunities for California and the Bay Area to tackle our housing crisis, create more affordable housing, and support our communities. View our up-to-date tracker of affordable housing election results here. 

While we were disappointed that some local revenue measures were not passed into law owing to their steep 2/3 threshold, every affordable housing revenue measure on the ballot secured a definitive majority vote. These results show that voters from around the Greater Bay Area agree we need bold solutions for our seniors, families, veterans, and most vulnerable communities.

We're so proud of the work our NPH community, members, and partners have undertaken to drive solutions and strategies for our issue and our communities. We truly have been transforming the Bay Area from a place known for its reputation of "housing crisis" to one of "housing solutions."

Read more about how our Bay Area is building progress and power for affordable housing and our communities via the San Francisco Business Times.

REGIONAL UPDATE

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As the East Bay Times and Mercury News joint editorial board wrote in their post-election analysis of the housing measures, last Tuesday's election results also signal a need for a strategic and cohesive regional approach to address the Bay Area's housing issues.

We couldn't agree more. NPH has been deeply engaged in efforts to develop this regional approach with CASA, the Committee to House the Bay Area. NPH staff and members have been able to lend our expertise and recommendations, working alongside an array of stakeholders to help ensure that the final package reflects our communities' needs, our industry's abilities, and our Bay Area's potential.

After 18 months of convening, researching, and exploring proposals to address the "3 Ps of Housing: Production, Preservation, and Protection," CASA will soon adopt a final compact to help set the policy direction on housing for Bay Area legislators and the Governor for the 2019-2020 legislative session, as well as local elected officials and the Bay Area's Metropolitan Transportation Commission. 

This compact is currently comprised of 11 proposals that address funding for affordable housing, tenant protections, and housing regulations more broadly, including denser streamlined development. The CASA Technical and Steering committees will review and take a preliminary vote today, Wednesday, November 14, on a draft of this compact crafted from those 18 months of discussions. 

Want to learn more? Please join us at the 12/6 ULI panel in San Francisco, featuring NPH Policy Director Michael Lane, to discuss these CASA recommendations in anticipation of the final December adoption. Register here.

ACTION ALERTS

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DEFEND HOUSING: TWO POLICIES THAT NEED YOUR INPUT

While we're making progress at the regional and state level, we must also continue to defend against federal attacks on our local communities' access to safe, healthy, affordable homes. There are two proposed policies that need your input today:

Defend the Community Reinvestment Act

Many of our state and national partners have alerted us that the OCC's Advance Notice of Public Rulemaking represents a massive threat to low and moderate income communities and community development nonprofits. Weakening CRA rules could reduce or eliminate banks' obligation to invest in housing and community development and result in the loss of billions of dollars a year in loans to low- and moderate-income census tracts.

We encourage all of our members and partners to submit comments to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to defend the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA.) You can download a sample template letter (.doc) or view materials here. Please submit your formal comments here on or before Monday, November 19!

Protect Immigrant Families' Access to Housing

A new Trump administration proposal would undermine access to essential health, nutrition and housing programs for immigrants and their families. The Department of Homeland Security's proposed rule change to "public charge" would make—and has already made—immigrant families afraid to seek programs that support their basic needs.

We encourage the affordable housing community to defend housing access and fight against this "public charge" rule change. You can view materials and submit your comments here. Comments are due on or before December 10!  

NPH EVENTS

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GET READY TO CELEBRATE!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: ELPN YEAR-END PARTY! Join NPH's Emerging Leaders Peer Network on Thursday, November 29 from 6 - 8pm at Bar CC in San Francisco. Come celebrate another year of building, supporting, and advocating for affordable housing in the Bay Area! We'll reflect on the year's accomplishments in a relaxed atmosphere filled with food, drinks, a live DJ, and a merry time.  Register here.

Friday, 11/16: Fillmore Heritage Center. The Fillmore Heritage Center Equity Partners – a collaboration between the San Francisco Housing Development Corporation, the New Community Leadership Foundation  and Hard Hitta Promotions – are pleased to invite you to "Rebirth of the Fillmore Heritage Center," a community open house event to launch the long-awaited reactivation of the Fillmore Heritage Center. Come join us as we celebrate our new lease with the City of San Francisco to operate the 28,000-square foot Fillmore Heritage Center for a variety of entertainment events and community-focused programs. 

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Wednesday, 11/21: Housing California Conference proposals due. Help "Shape Our Future" to meet our shared goals for affordable housing and ending homelessness by creating innovative, interactive workshops that push the field for Housing California's 2019 Annual Conference. Consider transformative, measurable ways to address challenges in policy and government systems, affordable and supportive housing finance and development, equity and inclusion, community organizing and strategic communications.

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RFQ OPPORTUNITY. Due Monday, 12/3: Destination:Home RFQ. This request for qualifications (RFQ) seeks to identify qualified developer partners and encourage the development of supportive housing units throughout Santa Clara County. Selected partners may receive capacity building grants, operating support, site-specific acquisition opportunities, pre-development funding, and other forms of flexible assistance with the end goal of increasing supportive housing development and production locally.

View the request for qualifications