SAN FRANCISCO- The California State Legislature, after their unsuccessful attempt three (3) years ago, will again consider an amendment to the state constitution to make housing as a “fundamental human right”.
Assemblyman Matt Haney from San Francisco introduced Assembly Constitutional Amendment 10 (ACA 10) which would declare that everyone in the state has the right to adequate housing.
In California, everyone knows that the state has an immense shortage of housing that persists despite efforts by its politicians to jump-start construction.
Based on the Housing Inventory Count conducted in January 2022 by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, the homeless population in California grew nearly 200 percent to 171,521 last year compared to 2021, totaling about 30 percent of all homeless in the U.S.
Under ACA 10, state and local governments would share the obligation to provide adequate housing for everyone on a non-discriminatory and equitable basis.
This amendment requires the approval of two-thirds of the members in both the Assembly and Senate.
If the proposed amendment gets the approval of two-thirds of the members in both the Assembly and Senate and is signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, this measure would be placed on a future ballot and decided by voters.
The Golden State, under the proposal, would become the first in the U.S. to recognize the right to housing in its constitution. According to the state legislative information site, the proposed measure is scheduled to be heard by a committee.
In California, this is not the first time that someone attempt to enshrine a right to housing in its Constitution. In 2020, Attorney General Rob Bonta, an assemblyman representing Oakland, authored a similar bill but did not prosper due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based on reports, Bonta introduced the measure after a group of women and children used the right to housing as a basis for occupying a vacant home in West Oakland.
Aside from Bonta, Former Assemblyman Autumn Burke, who is representing the California 62nd State Assembly district, also authored a bill declaring a right to housing and directing state agencies to provide places to live for families and children who could become homeless. However, the bill was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom reasoning the high cost of the implementation.
In case Haney’s ACA 10 will be successful, California will land in history as the only state to create a constitutional right to housing.
Also, Haney introduced Assembly Bill 1532 which would allow governments to convert empty office buildings into affordable housing.