Voters around the state decided Tuesday whether to fund and build new housing in their backyards. Here are some of the more notable results.
Emeryville: $50 million for affordable housing
Voters in Emeryville, home of Pixar Studios and one of the East Bay's priciest neighborhoods, voted to approve a $50 million bond to fund housing projects for low-income residents and people experiencing homelessness. That's a lot of money for a city of only 12,000 people.
Lafayette: 44 controversial homes rejected
The Deer Hill housing project in the East Bay suburb of Lafayette has been mired in controversy for years. An initial proposal to build a multifamily apartment complex with more than 300 units got tangled in local resistance and fair-housing litigation. City officials thought a smaller project on the same land for 44 single-family homes would be more palatable to locals. They were wrong. Proponents of the original apartments plan believe the measure's defeat might, ironically, open the door for denser development.
San Francisco: Yes on free tenant lawyers, no on tax for new housing
San Franciscans voted for a measure that will provide free legal representation to any city resident facing eviction. But a tax on commercial landlords that would have funded affordable housing failed to garner enough support. Perhaps more importantly, the race for mayor—a race primarily shaped by the candidates’ views on new housing development—was still too close to call as of June 7.
San Mateo: $33 million for teacher housing likely falls short
In the pricey Bay Area, teachers and school staff are struggling to live in the same communities where they work. The cost of housing has led many districts to fight to find teachers, or to set up teacher housing of their own. As of June 7, a $33 million bond for teacher housing in the Jefferson Union School District looks like it will barely miss the 55% threshold needed to pass.