San Franciscans went to the polls in November 2018 and passed one of the boldest ever funding initiatives for housing and homeless services. Prop C is direct legislation to overhaul taxes on San Francisco’s wealthiest corporations to secure much-needed resources for the many low-income renters who can no longer afford to live in their home city as costs continue to skyrocket. After two years of legal battles with interest groups, the California Supreme Court denied a petition to the Court of Appeals on September 9 to overturn the statute, unlocking funds for housing and homelessness services citywide.
The ballot measure earned 62% of the vote in 2018. At that time, it was set to collect more than $300 million from the city’s wealthiest corporations and fund housing and homelessness services. Now, over $470 million will be available to address homelessness in San Francisco.
San Franciscans must earn $36.96 an hour to afford a two-bedroom rental home, leaving many families just one unexpected expense from housing instability. The city’s homelessness system is already overtaxed and unable to keep up with the need with over 1,000 people on the single-adult shelter waitlist.
As passed in 2018, half of the fund will be invested in building and preserving affordable homes that will prioritize families and youth. A fourth of the fund is dedicated to addressing mental health and substance use. And the rest will be split between homelessness prevention and addressing the immediate needs of people experiencing homelessness. The fund was developed based on San Francisco’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing’s Strategic Frameworks and includes a robust oversight committee that must approve how the new funds are spent.
For more information about Prop C, visit: https://bit.ly/35BX4mS