Update: We are thrilled that Oakland voters passed Measure Q for new, environmentally efficient affordable housing!
Ahead of the November 2022 Election, Greenbelt Alliance encouraged Oakland residents to vote YES on Measure Q. In 1950, California voters passed Proposition 10 which added Article 34 to the state constitution. Article 34 requires that cities get voter approval before they build ‘low-rent housing’ funded with public dollars. It was a response to the federal Housing Act of 1949 that prohibited explicit racial segregation as well as the development of public housing after WWII. White affluent communities wanted to prevent the development of public housing in their communities and Article 34 gave many cities near veto power over affordable housing. While we will have the opportunity to remove this article in the next election cycle (SCA 2), for now, Measure Q is a hoop affordable housing must jump through.
Measure Q asked for voters’ permission for the City of Oakland to develop, construct, or acquire an additional 13,000 “low-rent” units to meet their full RHNA goals without seeking separate voter approval necessary under Article 34. While this doesn’t come with its own funding source, it complements the affordable housing and infrastructure bond and reduces the waiting time for separate voter approval that can kill much-needed affordable housing projects.
Why We Supported Measure Q
Infill affordable housing is an important tool in preventing displacement, advancing housing equity, and implementing climate resilience in new housing stock. Measure Q not only allows for new affordable housing near transit and jobs, but the housing that is built will also meet modern, environmentally efficient standards. The housing shortage within the Bay Area impacts low-income communities, who end up seeking out affordable housing options that are further away, forcing them to commute hundreds of miles back and forth for hours at a time. The impact on the environment and quality of life is a disastrous and preventable result of this. Measure Q is a solution we must take advantage of now.
You can learn more about Measure Q via the Protect Oakland Renters Campaign here.
Other Supporters of Measure Q
- ACCE
- Care 4 Community Oakland
- Causa Justa
- Centro Legal De La Raza
- East Bay Community Law Center
- Oakland Tenants Union
