JEAmerican Governments Within the last ten years, California’s cost of living has vastly increased. This is apparent within the Bay Area and Central Valley housing market. With home and rent pricing exceeding the national average, thousands of Bay Area residents are being forced out. The increases in the housing market has left various communities within the Bay Area vulnerable. A community that is directly affected by these changes is the veteran community. With the rising cost, some veterans are not able to live in their current homes. By providing the necessary legislation, tools and community support California can remain the homes to thousands of veterans.
In California's 2018 state election proposition 1 was passed. This proposition authorized “$4 billion in general obligation funds for housing projects and housing loans for veterans”. Since the bill passed there would be an increase in the repayment of state bonds over the following 35 years and every year it would cost California’s $170 million. Democrats like Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom and U.S Representative Maxine Waters were some of the political officials endorsing proposition 1. The passing of proposition 1 is a beneficial factor for veterans looking for affordable housing, but it does affect every Californian. According to the Legislative Analyst Office, the bonds that are borrowed would be repaid by California’s general tax revenue. Out of the $4 billion dollars in bonds, $1 billion dollars would be directly allocated for Californian state veterans. For those veterans choosing to participate in the loan program “they would make monthly payments to the state which in turn would pay for the bonds” (Legislative). Proponents against Prop 1 argue that this bill would only serve as a supplement to housing construction and would not benefit Californians in the long run. As a result, the passing of this legislation increases the burden upon tax payers by increasing the amount of debt they still need to pay. According to the California 2018 voter guide, those who are in-favor the bill believes that it “...will help more than 55,000 people meet their housing cost” (Mitric). Proposition 1 does not just benefit veterans it also looks to aid all types of low-income residents. According to the Voter Guide of California, it supports “new emergency housing for homeless children and families, as well as building multi-family homes for working families” (California). By having these tools at the community’s disposal veterans and low-income families may think twice before packing their bags and relocating. Currently, the implication of affordable housing for veterans specifically is accessible in two Californian cities. The California Department of Veteran Affairs list two CalVet REN communities as Sylmar and Santa Clarita with Jurupa Valley and Palmdale coming soon (CalVet). The average four-bedroom house in Santa Clarita and Sylmar ranges between $330,000 to around $360,000. However, the CAL Vet REN (Residential Enriched Neighborhood) sells these homes in these areas from $266,000 to $286,000. The implementation of Proposition 1 also impacts the communities these veterans will live in. When comparing the prices of CAL Vet REN homes to the national average price of homes sold in 2015 the data is astonishing. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Lewis listed the average house in the United States sold for approximately “$378,900” (FRED). The average home is $100,000 dollars more expensive than the cheapest house being sold in Sylmar, California. It is important to note that there are still inexpensive options for that are below the national average. So California veterans are spending more on assisted housing compared to those in other states. The issues of affordable housing for veterans impacts every single American and especially those who are registered to vote. Many of our veterans willingly join the military and sacrifice their lives in order to preserve the liberties and freedoms of the American people. I am hoping to reinvigorate the American voter who does not care about politics, but those who care about preserving their freedoms and liberties. A vote from the people represents a thank you to those who risk their lives. The target demographic that would have an increased impact would be the younger voters age 18 to 29. Having support from younger ensures that our veterans are not being overlooked.
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AuthorUndergraduate student generated content. Blog posting and updating done by Kristina Flores Victor, Assistant Professor of Political Science at CSUS Archives
March 2020
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