Proposition 5 Reflections from Our Executive Director, Amie Fishman

Though ballot counting continues across California, the current results indicate that Proposition 5 will come up short at the ballot box and the Associated Press has called this race. 

We’re disappointed by this loss but not defeated. Working closely with our members and partners, we set out to win a systemic, transformative change that would bring more affordable housing to more Californians. Though we faced the headwinds of widespread social and economic anxiety in this election, we know that affordable housing remains a top priority for voters. 

In a time of deep uncertainty, NPH is certain of this: we’re emerging from this election with renewed resolve toward our vision of homes for all. Together, we carry forward with us new and deeper cross-coalition partnerships; invaluable campaign learnings; and concrete data to come that will guide our work ahead. 

These strides and gains were possible because of you. Our members and partners continue to be the fuel behind our efforts and are directly responsible for moving the needle during this campaign. Thanks to you, we’re ending this election cycle with a powerful foundation of experience and support to build from, including over 100 generous contributors, our incredible coalition, grassroots resources, an extensive field program, and hundreds of volunteers:

• We had over 255 million voter contact impressions with digital ads, as well as TV in Los Angeles and Sacramento. 
• The Million Voters Project Action Fund led our field efforts. They had 85 local organizations and over 1,500 grassroots leaders that contacted 350,000 low and moderate-propensity voters in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean and Vietnamese.
• We developed a broad coalition of over 300 organizations representing housing advocates, labor, businesses, seniors, taxpayer advocates and more. We hosted meetings across the state, as well as webinars, social media trainings, speaker and press trainings, and informational events reaching thousands of partners. 
• There was canvassing in communities, flyering at strategic locations, and a multitude of outreach strategies. 
• In the final weeks and days of the campaign, the volunteer texting program reached 1,923,110 voters in Los Angeles County and the Bay Area.

Our commitment to you and the affordable housing movement remains the same: we aren’t backing down or stopping our work until all our neighbors have a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home. 

It’s been a hard election cycle, in California and nationally. But we must stick together. Our hope, our strength, and our impact lie in our collective movement and our unified, strategic action ahead. Our communities are counting on us to not give into despair but to rise above the noise of the news cycle and focus on the issues that really matter to our neighbors, friends, and families.Thank you for your support and for sticking by us. We’re committed as ever to ensuring that California is a safe, affordable, and welcoming place to call home for every single person — no exceptions.