Fall Advocacy Recap
Fall was a period of significant advocacy and development thanks to the dedicated efforts of our proactive External Affairs team. We have played a key role in promoting meaningful legislation and initiatives that will directly benefit our communities. Here is a recap of the advocacy work the External Affairs team has focused on during the fall season.
Local Level Engagement
Measure A and Leadership Table
The Brilliant Corners External Affairs team has been engaged in discussions about the implementation of Measure A, which recently passed and is seen as a major win for both the county and service providers. Our very own Jose Osuna sits on the Leadership Table for Regional Homeless Alignment. The Leadership body is a key component in providing insights and solutions to the county to address and prevent homelessness including the implementation of Measure A. Jose also has a pivotal role in the Prevention subcommittee under the Leadership Table. Last fall, Jose engaged in shaping recommendations that will guide how funding is distributed, ensuring that prevention efforts remain a priority. Right now, leadership committees are still working to define their role in the decision-making process and determine which body will ultimately oversee funding allocations.
Los Angeles Regional Reentry Project
External Affairs Associate Kayana Tyson will be Co-Chair of the Los Angeles Regional Reentry Project Housing Committee, which the External Affairs team is excited to announce. Kayana will contribute her unique experience and passion to help those affected by incarceration in this capacity, making sure that housing stays a top priority in reentry initiatives. While on the committee last fall, Kayana was instrumental in promoting Measure A and providing information about Brilliant Corners’ Breaking Barriers program. We are thrilled to see her carry on this work in a leadership role. Her contributions will shape significant conversations about housing solutions for people involved in the justice system.
Greater LA Coalition on Homelessness
The Brilliant Corners External Affairs team is actively engaged in the Greater LA Coalition on Homelessness (GLACH), a coalition of 55 nonprofit organizations working on the front lines of the homelessness crisis. This fall, the coalition worked with the City of Los Angeles to obtain better contracts that completely cover the cost of care as well as higher bed rates. The nonprofit homeless service providers in Los Angeles currently work under contracts that understate the actual costs of housing and support. According to a 2023 Abt Associates report, the total cost of care, including staffing, meals, security, and operating costs, is $139 per night. Originally, the City agreed to increase the bed rate to $69 per night but due to our advocacy, public funders responded with $89 per night, which we view as a step in the right direction, but still far from sustainable in the long-term. In actuality, the system struggles to maintain available beds and to guarantee that frontline workers receive a livable wage without sufficient funding.
While Brilliant Corners does not provide interim housing beds or have contracts with the city, we are still engaged in these conversations knowing that it will improve the financial sustainability of the entire sector.
Additional Initiatives
The External Affairs team supported several policy efforts this past fall and created a Ballot Measure Guide to help navigate the many important ballot measures that were voted on in the November election. Here are the results of the priority measures from the November election:
Statewide Measures
Proposition 5: BC Supported Lower Voter Approval Threshold. Prop 5 would have lowered the voter approval threshold for local housing and infrastructure bonds. Prop 5 did not pass.
Proposition 33: BC was Neutral on Rent Control from the Local Government. Prop 33 would have repealed the Costa-Hawkins Act of 1995 to allow local governments to implement rent controls, overturning a state law prohibiting counties and cities from capping rents on homes first occupied after February 1, 1995. Prop 33 did not pass.
SOCAL MEASURES
Measure A (LA): Brilliant Corners supported The Sales Tax Bond to fund affordable housing in LA County. We are happy to report that Measure A has passed. Measure A will go into effect on April 1st, 2025. You can read more on Measure A here.
Measure CC (Santa Ana): BC supported the Rent Stabilization and Just Cause Eviction Ordinance. Measure CC limits rent increases to the lesser of 3% or 80% of the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), whichever is lower. It also restricts landlords to only one rent increase per year, unless the property is exempt, and requires landlords to provide written notice with just cause for terminating a tenancy. Measure CC passed.
NORCAL MEASURES
Measure W (Berkeley): BC Supported Real estate transfer tax. Berkeley would establish a real estate transfer tax of 2.5% for properties valued at $1.6 million or more, increasing to 3% for properties over $1.9 million, and 3.5% for those over $3 million. The tax would be adjusted annually, and the measure removes the 2029 expiration date. Measure W passed.
Measure BB (Berkley): BC Supported Measure BB, which allows existing revenues to fund homelessness prevention. It limits rent increases to 5%, expands tenant protections, and allows tenants to organize in buildings with 10 or more units. Measure BB passed.
Measure CC (Berkeley): BC Opposed Rent Control and Eviction Protection. This measure would have expanded rent control to owner-occupied properties and eliminated local eviction protections for tenants in single-family rentals. It would allow rent increases of up to 7.1% annually and permit higher rents for improvements made with tenant approval. Measure CC did not pass.
Proposition B (San Francisco): BC Supported Community Health Bond. Prop B proposes issuing $390 million in general obligation bonds to fund community health centers, hospital renovations, street safety improvements, and housing initiatives to reduce family homelessness. Prop B passed.
Proposition G (San Francisco): BC Supported Rental Subsidies. Prop G amends the San Francisco Charter to allocate at least $8.25 million annually for rental subsidies supporting low-income seniors, families, and people with disabilities living in affordable housing. Prop G passed.
Measure T (San Mateo): BC Supported New Infrastructure. Measure T adjusts the city’s building height limits, allowing for eight-story buildings in specific areas, such as downtown and near Caltrain stations, where infrastructure supports new development. Measure T passed.
Measure JJ (East Palo Alto): BC Supported Tax on rental properties to fund affordable housing. Measure JJ reallocates a 2.5% tax on rental properties to fund affordable homeownership and preserve affordable housing. Measure JJ passed.