By Holden Weisman
Director of Policy & Advocacy, Habitat Greater San Francisco
November 3, 2026, is a big day for us all with so much to be decided on this year’s ballot. With the number of items to consider, California’s notoriously long ballots often feel overwhelming. We at Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco have been diving into all the many propositions, initiatives, and measures across our service area, and while you’ll have to decide, we can offer our own insights and positions on a few key housing items that directly impact our ability to serve as many future homeowners as possible.
Let’s start with the biggest one…
Proposition 1 (State) – SUPPORT, endorsed by Habitat Greater SF
Proposition 1, the Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond, is our statewide priority this year. If passed, Prop 1 will allow the state to raise $11.25 billion from bond sales for affordable housing and homeownership programs for veterans, seniors, working families, people with disabilities, farmworkers, students, first-time homebuyers, and other Californians affected by the state’s housing affordability crisis.
Most critically for Habitat Greater SF, included in the bond package is $600 million specifically dedicated to CalHome, California’s only fund dedicated to affordable homeownership production and preservation. Support from CalHome allows affordable homeownership developers like Habitat Greater SF to build new and preserve existing affordable homes for ownership across our service area and is often the difference between a project charging ahead or plans collecting dust on the shelf.
For the estimated more than 40,000 new, shovel-ready affordable homes this bond would unlock and for the countless future homeowner families we’ll be able to welcome into their first ever owned home with its funding, Habitat Greater SF endorses and recommends SUPPORT for Prop 1, the Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond.
Proposition C (San Francisco) – SUPPORT, endorsed by Habitat Greater SF
San Francisco voters have an opportunity to make a major investment in affordable housing and homeownership through Proposition C. This city charter amendment would increase annual contributions from the city’s general fund to the Housing Trust Fund from the current $52 million to $125 million, with the increase phased in to reach $125 million per year by 2036.
Prop C clarifies that these funds are solely for affordable housing – rental and homeownership – with a mechanism that would allow the city to freeze or reduce contributions in the event of significant budget deficits or a fiscal emergency, but it would not allow withdrawals for non-housing needs even during these events. The measure would also extend the current 2043 sunset date for the Housing Trust Fund to 2058.
By clarifying that the trust fund is a stable source of funding exclusively for affordable housing, by expressly including homeownership, and for the significant impact the fund increases would have toward unlocking affordable home development across San Francisco, Habitat Greater SF endorses and recommends SUPPORT for Prop C.
Measure P (Menlo Park) – OPPOSE, opposition endorsed by Habitat Greater SF
Affordable housing development is at risk in the city of Menlo Park by Measure P, an effort that would restrict the city from selling, granting, leasing or in any other way giving up its downtown parking lots unless the action receives a majority vote of the city’s voters. This measure arose from a group of residents who were opposed to a potential proposal to redevelop the lots to build affordable housing in the opportunity-rich heart of Menlo Park along with improvements to the properties like new garages.
In the past year, Habitat Greater SF advocated against Measure P being placed on the ballot for two major reasons: 1) We believe any additional restrictions on sites for affordable housing, especially sites which could be developed with the support of and in partnership with the city, would place unreasonable and potentially insurmountable barriers on affordable housing developers to deliver much-needed homes in this very expensive community; and, 2) The loss of this high-opportunity site to affordable housing development threatens to put the city of Menlo Park farther away from reaching its state-mandated housing element goals, and risks the possibility of subjecting the city to state penalties that may favor market rate development over affordable housing.
We continue to believe that the restrictions placed by Measure P are unnecessary and would be harmful to producing the affordable homes that are truly needed to enhance Menlo Park’s vibrant downtown. Habitat Greater SF has endorsed the opposition campaign and recommends voters OPPOSE Menlo Park Measure P.
What can you do?
The first and most important action you can take right now is to make sure you are registered to vote, and if not, don’t worry. California allows for same day voter registration, which will be available at your county elections office or voting location after the initial voter registration deadline (October 19, 2026), up to and including Election Day.
Take some time to learn more before you vote. California loves its ballot measures, and we only discussed three of the many you’ll see on your ballot. Take a look at public voter guides provided by the state and each county to read about the other measures on your ballot including arguments for and against each one.
- California statewide ballot initiatives
- Marin County ballot initiatives
- San Francisco ballot initiatives
- San Mateo County ballot initiatives
You can also check out the campaign sites if you want to learn more about each of the campaigns Habitat Greater SF has signed onto this year.
- Yes on Prop 1
- Yes on C (San Francisco)
- No on P (Menlo Park)
Most importantly, VOTE! If you are already registered, you most likely should have received your ballot in the mail. Simply fill it out and return it either by mail or at an official ballot box location, and you can easily locate your nearest ballot drop box online. This same site will also show you locations where you can vote early in person.
For voters who prefer to vote in person on election day, November 3, 2026, you can find your polling location here.
If you have any questions about the ballot measures discussed and our positions, please reach out to Holden Weisman, Director of Policy and Advocacy, at hweisman@habitatgsf.org.
Take a minute to breathe
Lastly, we want to leave you with a reminder and some space to take a moment to breathe during the stress of election season and the somewhat overwhelming process of filling in a California-sized ballot. Regardless of the outcomes this November, just remember Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco will continue to be here in our communities, ready to build, ready to engage, ready to advocate, and ready to open the door for as many future homeowner families as we possibly can!
Want to stay informed of our advocacy efforts? Sign up for our new Advocacy Newsletter! You’ll receive quarterly updates on key housing policy issues, opportunities to take action, and insights into how we’re pushing for more affordable homeownership opportunities in the Bay Area and beyond.