Local housing organizations skeptical of California's Prop 1

SISKIYOU COUNTY, Calif.– In California, voters narrowly passed Proposition 1 this week, which allows the state to borrow billions of dollars to spend on behavioral health services and housing.

The proposition allows the state to borrow up to $6.4 billion in total.

Its goal is to provide more access to mental health and addiction treatment, as well as housing, especially for veterans.

In Siskiyou County, local organizations aren’t as optimistic about the impact Prop 1 will have.

Siskiyou Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Pat Vela said, “it’s a little misleading, I think. It’s a great proposition from what I’m seeing. However, for the local affiliates, for Habitat for Humanity, I don’t see them getting much, if any of this.”

Vela expects most of the money from Prop 1 to be spent in major metropolitan areas like San Francisco.

He believes dialing back the regulations on building new homes in California would be the most effective way to address the housing crisis.