Housing in the Bulletin – Shelterforce Shelterforce

Dozens of housing-related bills are on the ballot in Tuesday’s general election. We tracked 11 statewide measures and nearly two dozen local and county measures that have something to do with housing.

Locally, some voters are being asked to approve funding or new taxes to support affordable housing efforts, while in other cities voters are deciding whether to continue the hard-fought fight for tenant protections and rent control measures. In New Jersey, for example, Hoboken residents will decide whether landlords can pay a one-time $2,500 fee to keep their apartments from being subject to the city’s rent control law and related protections.

One of the state’s biggest measures is California’s Proposition 33, which would allow voters in the Golden State to decide whether their local governments can implement rent controls. If passed, Proposition 33 would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Residential Rent Act, which prevents cities from enacting certain local rent control rules.

Below, we’ve broken down the housing policies we found by state, as well as some helpful additional resources. Is there anything we missed? Let us know in the comments.

Arizona

Statewide

Proposition 312 – Voters would decide whether property owners can apply for an annual tax refund if their municipality does not enforce rules prohibiting encampments. Read more in AZ Central.

California

Statewide

• Proposition 33 – If approved, cities and counties would be allowed to cap rents on all housing, repealing the Costa-Hawkins Residential Rent Act, which prohibits rent controls on many properties in the state. Read more in Cal matters.
• Proposition 5: If voters approve the measure, local bonds could be approved to fund affordable housing, supportive housing or public infrastructure initiatives.
• Proposition 34: The Patient Protection Now Act looks like a health care reform measure, but according to KKRVIt’s really a battle over the state’s rent control laws, particularly the AIDS Healthcare Fund, which financially supports rent control measures like Proposition 33.

District level

Los Angeles County: Measure A If approved by voters, this measure would raise just over $1 billion (!) per year for housing and homelessness by increasing the existing sales tax to 1/2 cent on the dollar. Read more in LAist.

Local level

San Francisco, California: Proposition G: If approved, the city would create a new affordable housing fund with at least $8.25 million allocated for rental subsidies for seniors, families and people with disabilities. Read more here.

Berkeley, California:

• Measure BB. If passed, Berkeley renters would benefit from a host of tenant protections. Landlords will be limited to 5 percent annual rent increases, face new eviction requirements, and more.
• Measure CC. A competing measure, sponsored in part by the Berkeley Property Owners Association, would direct a portion of rental property taxes to landlords whose tenants are struggling to pay rent and would prohibit evictions for nonpayment of rent if rent is less than one month behind. and much more. Check Berkeleyside Learn more about the BB measure and the CC measure.

Fairfax, California: Measure I: A yes vote would repeal the city’s rent control and just cause eviction laws. The City Council urged voters to vote against the measure.

Oroville, California: Measure N – Voters will decide whether the Butte County Housing Authority can build a low-income housing complex with 18 low- and very low-income apartments.

San Anselmo, California: Measure O – If approved, this measure would provide tenants with certain protections from eviction for cause, including requiring landlords with three or more units to provide tenants with additional notice before filing an eviction and, in some cases, paying tenants’ moving expenses. .

South Lake Tahoe, California: Measure N If voters pass this vacancy tax, homeowners who don’t live in their property for six months will be required to pay thousands of dollars — $3,000 in the first year and up to $6,000 in subsequent years. The fee could generate up to $10 million a year, which supporters of the measure want to spend on housing, according to the data. Sacramento Bee.

Colorado

Statewide

House Concurrent Resolution 23-1002 – Voters will decide whether the state should increase the number of veterans who can access property tax benefits. Now only disabled veterans with a “100 percent permanent disability” receive benefits, but if voters approve the measure, veterans with an “individual disability status” will also be eligible.

District level

Pitkin County: Question 1A. If voters approve the measure, the new property tax would generate $8.5 million annually for the next 25 years to build affordable housing in the county. The money can be used to attract and retain essential workers, preserve and build affordable housing, and more. Read more in Aspen Daily News.

Local level

City of Aspen:

• Question 2A – If Aspen voters agree, two existing taxes that fund affordable housing and transportation initiatives would be renewed.
• Issue 2B – If approved, the existing sales tax dedicated to affordable housing and child care in the city would be extended. For more information on Issue 2B and Issue 2A, see Aspen Times.

Denver: Bulletin Question 2R. If passed, the increased sales tax would generate $100 million a year for affordable housing development, including down payment assistance and funds for low- and moderate-income renters in Denver. Officials say 40,000 affordable housing units could be built in the next decade. Colorado Sun.

Florida

Statewide

Amendment 5—This amendment would adjust the property tax exemption for inflation, lowering taxes for homeowners. But the changes could lead to higher taxes for other groups, including renters and landlords. Read more in Phoenix.

District level

Orange County: Amendment 2 to the Charter. Voters are being asked if they want to maintain the Affordable Housing Trust Fund created by the county in 2020.

Local level

Miami, Florida: Referendum 2: Should Miami sell or lease its land to developers? Voters are being asked to approve the sale and/or lease of acres of land on Watson Island to the joint venture group. The proposed plan calls for apartments, commercial real estate and a city park on the island. As part of the deal, according to Miami Heralddevelopers will be required to contribute $24 million toward affordable housing and infrastructure in the city.

Bal Harbor, Florida: Referendum in Bal Harbor. Miami-Dade County is levying a 1 percent tax on food and beverage sales to raise funds for homeless services, housing and domestic violence centers. Bal Harbor voters are being asked if the village should participate. In an interesting turn of events, Miami Beach voters were expected to vote on a similar measure, but yesterday, less than a week before the vote, the Miami Beach City Commission canceled the issue. Read about all this in Miami Herald.

Georgia

Statewide

Amendment 1 – Voters will decide whether the state should implement a homestead property tax exemption. For people who meet certain criteria, including owning and living in their home, property taxes may only rise with inflation, even if home values ​​rise faster. Read more about this in Associated Press.

Louisiana

Local level

New Orleans: County Home Rule Amendment Proposal #1 – Voters will decide whether New Orleans should create a new affordable housing fund. If approved, the city would be required to annually allocate 2 percent of its general fund to the housing trust fund. That would amount to about $17 million a year in local funds, which supporters say would be the largest investment of its kind. WWNO.

Maine

Local level

Portland, Maine: Question 2: Voters will decide whether they want to make changes to the city’s short-term rental registration requirements. According to Maine WireIf passed, homeowners renting their homes for 30 days or less would be required to provide identification and proof of homestead tax exemption. Owners of short-term rentals on Peaks Island will also be required to indicate and verify whether the unit is seasonal or year-round.

Maryland

Local level

Baltimore, Maryland: Question A: If approved, the city will borrow up to $20 million to build and preserve affordable housing, as well as demolition, relocation, housing counseling, and an Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

New Jersey

Local level

Hoboken, New Jersey: Referendum question. If approved, landlords would be able to pay a one-time fee of $2,500 and their properties would be exempt from rent control restrictions. These funds will go to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. A “no” vote would preserve the city’s current rent control code. Read more at Patch.com.

New Mexico

Statewide

Constitutional Amendment 2 – A yes vote increases the veterans’ property tax exemption to $10,000, up from $4,000. This will be adjusted with inflation.

District level

Bernalillo County: Public Housing Bond Measure. Voters will decide whether to allow the county to issue $1.7 million in bonds to renovate and improve public housing properties.

North Carolina

Local level

Charlotte, North Carolina: Housing Bond Measure. Voters will decide whether to allow the city to issue $100 million in bonds to finance construction of low- and moderate-income housing.

North Dakota

Statewide

Measure 4: This is interesting. Voters are being asked to vote on a measure that, if approved, would make North Dakota the first state to waive property taxes from a home’s assessed value, according to Kiplinger.

Rhode Island

Statewide

Question 3: If approved, the state would issue $120 million in bonds to fund affordable housing and homeownership projects. Read more at Rhode Island PBS.

Wyoming

Statewide

Wyoming Property Tax Amendment for Residential Properties and Owner-Occupied Principal Residences. This amendment would create a new real estate class for “residential real estate,” ultimately with the goal of lowering taxes on owner-occupied principal residences. Find out more at VioFile.

Additional reporting by Lara Heard, Shelby R. King and Miriam Axel-Lute.