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New Poll Shows Strong Support for Proposition 1C: Affordable Housing Bond Favored In All Regions of State

August 31, 2006

SACRAMENTO — A new statewide poll shows Proposition 1C, the $2.85 billion emergency shelter bond on the Nov. 7 ballot, leading by a 25-point margin, with strong support in every geographic region of California.

If the election were held today, 57 percent of likely voters would support Proposition 1C while 32 percent would vote no, according to the non-partisan Public Policy Institute of California's survey 989 Californians. The poll, conducted Aug. 16-23, has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

The emergency shelter and affordable housing bond enjoyed strong backing in each of the state's four major geographic regions, with support from 60 percent of Bay Area voters, 59 percent of Los Angeles voters, and 56 percent of voters in both the Central Valley and San Diego.

"We are strongly encouraged by these results, which indicate that most Californians recognize the need to invest in emergency shelter and affordable housing programs to improve the quality of life in our state," said Carl Guardino, president and CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and a member of the Yes on 1C executive committee.

"This is a great start, but we cannot stop here," said Jeff Loustau, executive director of the California Housing Consortium and treasurer of the Yes on 1C campaign. "We must keep fighting for these bonds for the next two months and through the Nov. 7 election."

Proposition 1C is one of four bond measures placed on the state ballot as part of a package that would provide approximately $37 billion for infrastructure projects. The PPIC survey showed each of the four infrastructure bonds are supported by at least 50 percent of likely voters:

Among the other infrastructure bonds, Proposition 1B, which would provide almost $20 billion for transportation projects, is favored by 50 percent of likely voters and opposed by 38 percent. Proposition 1D, which would provide $10.4 billion for schools, is favored by a 51-39 percent margin, and Proposition 1E, which would provide $4 billion for flood protection measures, is leading by a margin of 56-35 percent.

Participants in the survey also listed affordable housing as the state's most important infrastructure need. Thirty-two percent listed housing as their top infrastructure priority, compared to 25 percent who listed schools, 21 percent for transportation and 12 percent for flood-control systems.