Transform Talk: Affordable Housing Leaders Committed to Fight to Save Transit - Streetsblog San Francisco

"“Transit is the foundation of how affordable housing works,” said Quintin Mecke, Executive Director of the Council of Community Housing Organizations, during a panel discussion Monday afternoon hosted by the advocates at Transform and aligned groups about why housing and transit are joined at the proverbial hip. In fact, with state laws now in effect that override local jurisdictions and allow higher density around quality transit, projects to build affordable housing are in direct jeopardy if BART, Muni, and Caltrain aren't funded. “Affordable housing relies on a stable funding source,” said Mecke."

"“That's a big part of why affordable housing advocates are joining transit advocates and working hard to get signatures to qualify the regional measure for the November ballot. “We've been helping out with getting more signatures,” said Kenneth Javier-Rosales with Silicon Valley at Home (SV@home). “People are eager to support the measure. The most common response is Yes!' or 'I've already signed!'”"

"Transform's Zack Deutsch-Gross explained the fundamentals of why the measure, which would implement a half-cent sales tax to fund transit, is so important. Without it, there will be drastic cuts at “Muni, BART, Caltrain, and AC Transit, which together represent 80 percent of all transit ridership in the Bay Area.” He explained how Caltrain would reduce to hourly weekday service only. Muni would cut entire lines, “AC transit would see over one-third of all lines cut in the East Bay,” he said, and BART would cut entire stations from the system."

"Basically, people throughout the region would lose access to jobs and services. But nobody would be harder hit than low-income, working-class folks who absolutely depend on transit to get around. “70 percent of us use public transit,” said Sophia DeWitt of East Bay Housing Organizations. For affordable housing residents, the situation is truly dire, because transit is t"

Transit funding underpins affordable housing by enabling access to jobs and services. State laws allow higher density near quality transit, so affordable housing projects face jeopardy if major transit agencies are not funded. Advocates are partnering across housing and transit groups to qualify a regional measure for the November ballot. The measure would implement a half-cent sales tax to fund transit. Without it, drastic service reductions are expected across Muni, BART, Caltrain, and AC Transit, including hourly-only Caltrain weekday service, line cuts for Muni and AC Transit, and station removals for BART. These impacts would be especially severe for low-income working-class residents who depend on transit for daily mobility.

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