The California Housing Partnership and Housing California announce our support for Governor Newsom’s Proposition 1. This initiative will appear on the March statewide ballot and provides new funding for housing through a $6.38 billion behavioral health bond, paired with reforms to the Mental Health Services Act. Proposition 1 will create more treatment beds for persons experiencing behavioral health crises and permanent homes for those who are able to live independently with appropriate supportive services. The initiative acknowledges housing as a health intervention by requiring at least 30% of the Mental Health Services Act to be used for housing.  By pairing housing resources with the assertive community treatment model proposed in Proposition 1, this initiative will help get people off the street and lead to better outcomes for those with behavioral health needs. Proposition 1 deserves voters’ full support.

Proposition 1 represents an important step forward and should be combined with broader investments in our housing systems. Housing California and the Partnership call on the Governor and Legislature to also place the Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2024 (AB 1657, Wicks) on the November ballot to address the needs of low-income families struggling with housing instability or at risk of homelessness.  AB 1657 is more urgent than ever in the context of proposed state budget cuts that will leave many state housing programs without funding and leave billions in federal resources unclaimed.  Paired together, Proposition 1 and AB 1657 will make great strides towards addressing the state’s affordable housing and homelessness prevention needs.

Click here to access PDF of statement with logos.