Voters passed multiple affordable housing measures on election day

Voters in different areas of the country passed measures affecting affordable housing development on Nov. 5.

In Rhode Island, a ballot question to authorize $120 million in bonds for housing acquisition, development, and infrastructure, including $80 million specifically for affordable housing, passed. Voters in Charlotte, N.C., approved a measure that creates a $100 million affordable housing bond funded by a city property tax increase.

In Baltimore, a question that allows the city to borrow up to $20 million to operate its affordable housing program gained approval. Los Angeles County repealed a quarter-cent sales tax that would have expired in 2027 and replaced it with a half-cent sales tax to address affordable housing and other issues. San Francisco voters appropriated at least $8.25 million per year to pay for rental subsidies for extremely low-income affordable housing.

Measures to boost climate resilience were on the ballot in two states—Rhode Island and Louisiana—and both passed. Rhode Islanders voted in favor of $53 million in bonds for projects to prevent floods, restore coastal habitats, and improve forest health. Louisiana voters approved a constitutional amendment requiring federal revenue from offshore energy generation—wind, solar, tidal energy, and oil and gas—to be put in a fund for coastal restoration.

California voters also approved a resilience-related question to allow state government to borrow $10 billion for environmental projects including efforts to prevent wildfires and protect coastal areas from rising sea levels.