Explainer: Measure A, the $950 million Housing Bond of 2016

In June 2016, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to place a $950 million General Obligation Bond on the November ballot.  It was at the time the biggest local effort anywhere to confront the issue of homelessness.

As a revenue measure, a two-thirds vote was required. Measure A received 454,284 votes, or 67.88%. The measure pays for housing by raising property taxes: For example, homes valued at $500,000 are assessed for an additional $63.30 a year.

The bond allocated $700 million for Extremely Low-Income housing (below 30 percent of area median income), including Permanent Supportive Housing and Rapid Rehousing; $100 million for Very Low Income housing (31 to 50 percent of the area median income); up to $100 million for for Moderate Income households; and up to $50 million for Moderate Income residents who are first-time homebuyers.

Permanent Supportive Housing targets chronically homeless, or those who have been homeless for more than a year and need such services as mental health, substance abuse or medical care. This type of housing provides those services.

Rapid Rehousing targets those who experience homelessness for brief periods, have income sources and need transitional housing for up to 18 months. Included in this population could be victims of human trafficking and domestic violence as well as those leaving the Foster Care system.

The affordable housing units are to be be built throughout the County, and the funds leveraged to attract matching funds from private and state and federal sources.

 The Community Plan to End Homelessness in Santa Clara County provided the blueprint, identifying the addition of 3,600 supportive housing units and 2,400 rapid rehousing units.

Measure A on Ballotpedia. 

 Source: County of Santa Clara—rewritten for space and clarity by California Local.