By Robert J. Hansen | OBSERVER Staff Writer
Speaking at the new ARY Place Apartments on S Street — an affordable mixed-income community being developed in downtown Sacramento — Mayor Darrell Steinberg proposed the Climate, Clean Transportation and Affordable Housing act of 2024 during his last of three State of the City addresses on August 25.
The measure, if drafted by state legislators and made law by California voters, would create a half-cent county-wide sales tax raise and $8.5 billion over 40 years to fund climate-friendly affordable housing projects, public transit, road repairs and safer streets with better bicycle and pedestrian access.
“Rather than billions on new roads, which harm the climate, especially without full mitigation, I propose a half cent sales tax that will raise $8 billion to $9 billion over 40 years, invested directly into an unprecedented county-wide housing trust fund, public transportation, and safer streets,” Mayor Steinberg said.
Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen said she believes in the mission that Mayor Steinberg proposed.
“We were convinced that we needed to do something different,” Singh-Allen said. “While our needs might be different, city to city, overall we have the same overarching needs.”
Mayor Singh-Allen said these goals can be met if we “dream big,” and all work together.
Former Sacramento city councilmember Steve Cohn has fought for clean and safe transportation for years. “Smart growth isn’t rocket science but it is climate science. I’m glad to see that after all these years … that this R Street corridor is the perfect example.”
Cohn said that the R Street corridor is something that can be replicated throughout the Sacramento region. “Putting housing together with transportation … acknowledging the urgency because of the climate and seizing the opportunity is great to see.”
Cathay Creswell, Board President of the Sacramento Housing Alliance said it is difficult to create more affordable housing starts with whether or not a local government facilitates the development of affordable housing. “Where it has not been facilitated it can add cost to that development, it can limit where that development can go which then can negatively impact both our climate and our transportation goals.”
Local governments need to provide deep subsidies for affordable housing to ensure that the needs of those who are most vulnerable are met and housed, according to Creswell. “That is not something that, until recently, that the state was a strong supporter of,” Creswell said. “We have needs now that are greater now than they have been.”
Dr. Luke Wood, President of Sacramento State, is seeing significant housing insecurity for his students. “What we know is that many students in college universities across the country struggle with food insecurity, housing insecurity, transportation concerns and employment barriers.”
Dr. Wood said what was interesting about this proposal was that there is a connection between the different concerns of housing, transportation and climate change.
“That can be a range of things. Certainly that can be homelessness, a student who is living in their car, living in an untenable housing situation or living in a garage. Those issues don’t happen in isolation,” Wood said.
He said a student that experiences housing insecurity is likely to experience food insecurity at varying levels and transportation concerns. “The research shows that it’s a confluence of those factors that actually results in outcome differences.”
Dr. Wood said that Sac State students need more residential opportunities for students. “When we have a student that lives in residence with us, the four-year graduation rate is about ten percent higher.”
Sacramento County Supervisor Rich Desmond of District 3 recently met with Mayor Steinberg to discuss a future Sacramento County transportation measure that would address some of the region’s largest transportation-related problems.
“As Chair of the Sacramento Transportation Authority, I applaud Mayor Steinberg for his focus on tackling our transportation issues in a way that promotes cooperation,” said Supervisor Desmond. “Although different municipalities may have different needs and priorities for funding within these three categories, I support a construct that highlights the challenges we collectively face in Sacramento County while maintaining flexibility. I look forward to continue working with Mayor Steinberg and all my fellow elected officials on this issue.”