News
Other view: Housing bond from 2002 pays off
By Lynn Jacobs and Theresa Parker - Special to The Bee
September 27, 2006
Story appeared in EDITORIALS section, Page B7
When California voters approved Proposition 46 in 2002, they set the stage for the realization of dreams for people such as 21-year-old Jorge Martinez.
Martinez and his family were forced to move an hour away from their Point Reyes community after the loss of a farming job made their home unaffordable. Now, thanks to Proposition 46 and Point Reyes Family Homes, Martinez and his family are back in the area they love, living comfortably in a three-bedroom home just minutes from work and schools for his younger sisters.
Proposition 46 has provided money for a variety of programs for California families, including the construction, rehabilitation and preservation of affordable rental and owner-occupied housing, homeless facilities and funding for down payment assistance to low- and moderate-income first-time home buyers.
The Extra Credit Teacher Program, which offers down payment assistance and a reduced-rate mortgage loan to teachers and other staff who serve in California's high priority schools, is one such program. Rodney Black, a teacher at Sacramento's Valley High School, took advantage of this innovative program and was able to purchase an attractive home just blocks away from his school. The program not only helps schools recruit and retain quality teachers, it also sends them a simple, but powerful, message: We appreciate your work and want to say thanks.
Martinez and Black are not alone. In total, California taxpayers have helped more than 100,000 individuals and families meet their housing needs. As the heads of two agencies responsible for distributing the bond funds, we want to provide an update to the very people who made it possible: the people of California. ...900 J Street, Second Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814 | Tel: 916.447.0503 | Fax: 916.447.1900 |
