Housing on the Ballot: What’s at Stake for California in 2026 – A Special Briefing for Funders

As California continues to grapple with a severe housing affordability crisis, the 2026 ballot will present voters with competing visions for how we should finance affordable housing. The proposed Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026 would place a $10 billion statewide general obligation bond before voters to finance the construction, preservation, and rehabilitation of affordable housing. If passed, the bond could help unlock more than 130,000 affordable homes by providing critical gap financing for projects that are already approved and awaiting funding.

At the same time, voters are expected to consider an anti-tax constitutional amendment that would raise the voter approval threshold for citizen-sponsored local special taxes from a simple majority to two-thirds and invalidate previously approved special taxes that passed below that threshold. If passed, this could make it more difficult for local governments to secure future housing bonds and dedicated funding sources for affordable housing, homelessness response, and housing preservation programs.

Join Philanthropy California, the League of California Community Foundations, and the San Francisco Foundation to learn more about how housing is showing up on California’s ballot. We’ll be joined by guest speakers Assemblymember Buffy Wicks and Chris Hoene, Executive Director of the California Budget and Policy Center, who will discuss the measures impacting housing on the ballot and the role philanthropy can play to ensure California is a place where everyone has a safe, stable home.

Target Audience

This program is open to members of Catalyst, Northern California Grantmakers, and Southern California Grantmakers.