Hopes for Housing?

When the governor rolled out his $222 billion infrastructure package at last week's State of the State, housing advocates had to be hoping for a bone or two to be thrown their way. It didn't happen. But the bond proposals of both legislative leaders do include monies for housing. Now affordable housing advocates are trying to leverage those proposals to be included in the governor's mega-bond and mega-infrastructure proposal. John Hill has the story in today's Sac Bee. "We're disappointed" at not being included in Schwarzenegger's proposal, said Chris Bender, a spokesman for Housing California, a coalition of more than 1,000 nonprofit developers and other housing organizations. "But we're encouraged by the fact that we're in these two other bonds. ... We feel like we're in a pretty good negotiating position." The last infusion of affordable housing money came in 2002 when voters approved Proposition 46, a bond which provided $2.1 billion for the cause.