Update: South San Francisco residents voted yes on Measure AA, authorizing the development, construction, or acquisition of housing for low-income households by the City!
Greenbelt Alliance encouraged South San Francisco residents to vote YES on Measure AA. 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 in order to do so. While we will have the opportunity to remove this article in the next election cycle (SCA 2), for now, Measure AA is a hoop affordable housing must jump through.
Measure AA asked the voters of South San Francisco for permission to authorize the development, construction, or acquisition of housing for low-income households by the City, allowing for the creation or acquisition of up to 1% of South San Francisco’s total housing stock annually for an 8-year period. Measure AA does not require the City to commit to any actual construction, and will not raise taxes in any way.
Why We Supported Measure AA
Ending the Bay Area’s housing crisis is both a moral and climate imperative. Creating affordable, dense, infill housing in resource-rich areas not only helps create stronger communities socioeconomically but ensures that Bay Area workers are not spending multiple hours every day in their cars to get to their jobs, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It also allows us to preserve our treasured open spaces while addressing the need for additional homes. Measure AA allows the City to pursue the creation or acquisition of exactly this type of housing, making South San Francisco more resilient to climate and affordability challenges.
You can learn more about Measure AA via the City of South San Francisco’s impartial analysis.
Others Who Supported Measure AA
- Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County
- San Mateo County Democratic Party
- Peninsula for Everyone
- NAACP
Photo: Tristan Nitot via Flickr
