California is facing an affordability crisis that affects every corner of our state. For many families, the high cost of housing is eroding our quality of life. Here in San Diego, we see our teachers, nurses, firefighters and essential workers — people who keep our neighborhoods safe and thriving — struggling to live where they work.
The need for solutions has never been more urgent, and that’s why Proposition 5 is so important. This measure offers local communities the tools they need to address housing affordability and repair our aging infrastructure.
By passing Prop. 5, we can empower voters to give local governments the ability to approve bonds for affordable housing and essential infrastructure — like roads, fire stations and water systems — without waiting for slow-moving state government action.
California’s housing shortage is at a critical level, and middle-class families are being pushed out of the communities they serve. Prop. 5 directly addresses this issue by making it easier for local governments to create affordable housing, offering real solutions that will help working families, veterans and seniors. It also provides for the development of supportive housing for people with disabilities and those who are unhoused, along with programs for first-time homebuyers.
This is about giving local voters the power to decide what’s best for their own communities. Prop. 5 shifts decision-making from Sacramento back into the hands of local taxpayers. This empowers communities like those in San Diego County to solve their unique housing challenges in ways that reflect their needs and values.
Affordable housing, however, cannot exist in isolation — it requires the public infrastructure to support it. California’s roads, bridges and water systems are aging and often unsafe. Prop. 5 not only provides for housing solutions, but also gives communities the means to repair and expand the infrastructure necessary to support new developments.
This includes everything from repairing roads and bridges to improving stormwater systems and upgrading fire and emergency response infrastructure. By creating new fire stations, acquiring fire engines and implementing early-warning systems for natural disasters, we can better prepare for the wildfire and storm challenges we know are coming.
One of the key strengths of Prop. 5 is its built-in accountability. Too often, public efforts to address infrastructure and housing needs have fallen short due to lack of oversight. Prop. 5 changes that by requiring every local bond measure to have strict transparency provisions.
These include oversight by independent citizens’ committees, regular performance audits, and clear project lists to ensure taxpayer dollars are being used effectively and only for the benefit of local communities. This level of accountability ensures that communities will have full control over how their tax dollars are spent, and every step will be transparent to the public.
Prop. 5 also protects your local tax dollars by making sure that any funds raised through these bonds are used exclusively in the communities that approve them. This means for San Diego County, every dollar stays in our region. Prop. 5 respects local control, ensuring that we don’t have to rely on state government to make decisions that impact our daily lives.
This measure gives local communities the ability to approve housing and infrastructure bonds with a 55% vote, making it easier for voters to address critical housing and infrastructure needs without adding an additional financial burden.
As the president and CEO of San Diego Foundation, I see every day how critical affordable housing and modern infrastructure are to our region’s future. This is not just about improving roads or building houses—it’s about creating stronger, more resilient communities that can support the people who live and work here. Prop. 5 provides us with a real opportunity to tackle these issues head-on and create lasting, meaningful change in our communities.
By voting “Yes” on Prop. 5 this November, we are choosing to give our local communities the power to shape their own futures. We are deciding to invest in the things that matter most —safe, affordable homes for our families, reliable infrastructure, and the ability to address our local needs without having to wait on Sacramento.
I urge you to vote “Yes” on Prop. 5 and help ensure that our communities can thrive for generations to come.
This article originally appeared in the Times of San Diego.
