Election Day is only weeks away, so Housing Is A Human Right is rolling out a November 2022 Voter Guide for California. We’re mostly focused on ballot measures that will help solve the housing affordability and homelessness crises, with an emphasis on backing initiatives that help the poor and middle- and working-class residents — first and foremost. Here’s where we stand.
In Los Angeles and Santa Monica, there are two ballot measures that will create more affordable housing. Trickle-down, luxury-housing solutions don’t work. The poor and middle and working class, who are getting slammed the hardest by the housing affordability and homelessness crises, desperately need housing that’s affordable. We urge L.A. residents to vote “yes” on Measure ULA, and we strongly recommend that Santa Monicans vote “yes” on Measure GS. Both will produce more affordable housing.
On the flip side, we don’t need more policies that criminalize homelessness. Why? It’s very simple. Criminalizing homelessness does absolutely nothing to solve homelessness for the long term. Nothing. If politicians are serious about fixing the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe, they must carry out the “3 Ps”: protect tenants through rent control and other tenant protections; preserve existing affordable housing, don’t demolish it to make way for luxury housing; and produce new affordable and homeless housing. We urge Sacramento residents to vote “no” on Measure O, which criminalizes homelessness.
Then there are rent control ballot measures in Pasadena and Santa Monica. Top experts at USC, UCLA, and UC Berkeley found that rent control is a key tool to stabilize the housing affordability crisis. Its positive impact will be swift and timely, helping people to stay in their homes and not fall into homelessness. Also, rent control will rein in the predatory business practices of corporate landlords and other landlords. We ask Pasadena residents to vote “yes” on Measure H. In Santa Monica, residents should vote “yes” on Measure RC.
Lastly, we don’t need more policies that harm low-income Californians. We urge residents to vote “no” on Proposition 27, the statewide online gaming initiative.
To recap, Los Angeles residents should vote “yes” for Measure ULA. Santa Monicans should vote “yes” for both Measure GS and Measure RC. Pasadena residents should vote “yes” on Measure H. In Sacramento, residents should vote “no” on Measure O — it rhymes, so that should be easy to remember. And throughout California, we urge residents to vote “no” on Proposition 27.