With New Bond Vote Pending, 2018 Bond for Housing Hits Snags
In 2018, California voters approved No Place Like Home, a measure promising to use taxpayer money for mental health treatment to fund a $2 billion housing bond, with the goal of creating 20,000 permanent supportive housing units. Over five years later, the state has completed only 1,797 units. As voters prepare to vote on Proposition 1, which proposes a multi-billion dollar plan to build affordable housing with intensive services, the story of No Place Like Home serves as a cautionary tale of ambitious promises, good intentions, and urgent needs getting tangled in bureaucracy and opposition from communities. Since No Place Like Home passed, the state’s homeless population has increased by 40%, now estimated to include over 181,000 Californians. Despite the slow pace of progress, some officials and advocates still see value in the approach and believe that lessons have been learned that will help streamline future efforts.
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