About Prop 5

Prop 5 gives local voters more power to address the affordable housing and public infrastructure needs in their communities.

California voters strongly support building housing that is affordable for low- and middle-income families and developing the public infrastructure needed to support new housing, like roads and transit, water, and fire stations. But state law currently restricts the ability of local voters to approve local housing and public infrastructure bonds for their communities.

Prop 5 empowers local voters to approve bonds for affordable housing, critical public infrastructure, and emergency response in our communities with a 55% vote – if those bonds have strict accountability and oversight.

By giving our communities more power to choose how to address their unique needs, Prop 5 shifts decisions about public policy and spending priorities away from state government and into the hands of local voters and taxpayers.

Prop 5 Requires Strict Accountability and Oversight for Local Bonds

Too often, California’s efforts to address our housing and infrastructure needs have failed to deliver. Under Prop 5, local housing and infrastructure bonds must include strict accountability, oversight, and transparency provisions to help ensure programs deliver results, including:

A clear list of the types of projects to be funded
Strict conflict-of-interest checks for local officials involved in the bonds
Oversight by an independent citizens’ oversight committee
Independent performance and financial audits of all spending that must be 1) posted publicly, and 2) reviewed by the State Auditor

Prop 5 Creates More Housing That Is Affordable for Low- and Middle-Income Californians

The high cost of housing is consuming too much of our paychecks and hurting our quality of life. Many middle-class families and public servants like teachers, nurses and firefighters are being pushed out of the communities where they work. Prop 5 gives communities more tools to make housing more affordable for the millions of Californians struggling with high housing costs, including:

Building new housing that is affordable for working families, seniors, veterans, and first-time homebuyers
Building supportive housing for people with disabilities and homeless people
Providing first-time homebuyers’ programs
Repairing and renovating existing affordable owner-occupied and rental housing

Prop 5 Helps Develop the Infrastructure Needed to Support New Housing and Safe Communities

California’s roads, bridges, and other infrastructure are aging, deteriorating and unsafe. And we lack the critical public infrastructure needed for more new housing, like roads, water, and fire stations. Just like with housing, Prop 5 gives communities more power to address these needs, including:

Vital safety repairs and improvements to roads, bridges, public transportation, clean water systems, and other critical public infrastructure
Emergency response and preparedness, including fire stations, fire engines, ambulances, and early-warning systems for natural disasters

Prop 5 Protects Your Local Tax Dollars

Prop 5 requires all local housing and infrastructure bond funds to be spent locally to benefit only the cities and counties that approve the bonds – not other communities. And Prop 5 limits bonded indebtedness for local jurisdictions, providing another layer of protection for taxpayers.

Prop 5 does not raise taxes. It simply gives local voters and taxpayers more authority to address their local affordable housing and infrastructure needs on their terms, without having to rely on the state.