New Orleans     For all the storm and fury of the election, there are some important issues on the ballot, whether voters are hearing as much about them or not.  In recent years, affordable housing has been a big issue for millions of families in cities and states around the country.  Both candidates know it is an issue and have various proposals, most of which are in different shadings of “build, baby, build.”

A piece in Shelterforce surveyed what voters have put on the ballot or the choices they are being asked to make in states and municipalities. It’s clear that affordability is at the forefront of their concerns.  Here’s a look at just some of what is on the ballot:

• California, predictably, leads the way with two key ballot issues on rent control and affordable housing. Proposition 33 would allow cities and counties throughout the state to create rent controls.  Proposition 5 would allow local bonds to be used to fund affordable housing and supportive housing, along with other public infrastructure.  Measures in San Francisco and Los Angeles would fund affordable housing directly.
• In Colorado, Denver and Pitkin, where Aspen is located, both have county measures to fund affordable housing.
• Florida’s Orange County, where Orlando is located, is asking voters whether they want to keep the affordable housing trust fund.
• Voters in New Orleans, Louisiana, are being asked to fund construction of affordable housing.
• In Baltimore, Maryland, voters are deciding whether to allow the city to borrow $20 million for affordable housing protection and preservation.
• In Hoboken, New Jersey, voters have a weird decision on whether to allow landlords to pony up $2500 to escape the rent control ordinance and have it go into an affordable housing fund, even as a “yes” vote would decrease affordable housing.
• Charlotte, North Carolina, voters are determining whether the city can borrow $100 million for affordable housing.
• Rhode Island is the little state thinking big and asking voters for $120 million authorization for affordable housing and homeownership development.

Admittedly, some of these measures are tricky, like the one in Hoboken, now a gentrified city across the river from New York City.  The measure in New Orleans has become controversial because most of its financial backing is from developers, so some are concerned this is just a raid on the city budget and tax revenues for their gain.  At the same time, it’s hard not to vote “yes” even for a sketchy version with a commitment to fight against developers’ greed later.

The basic point remains the same:  affordable housing is a key issue.  Other issues took pride of place in this presidential election, but it was in the mix, so clearly there’s an implicit national demand that the federal government needs to do more.  In the meantime, where it is possible, voters are marking their ballots across the country in red states and blue ones in an effort to create and/or keep housing affordable.