Housing Initiatives Won Big Across the Country on Tuesday

Elections|Ballot initiatives to summation lodging won large connected Tuesday, a imaginable harbinger for 2022.

• Nov. 3, 2021, 1:33 p.m. ET

A slew of initiatives aimed astatine the addressing the nation’s housing crisis passed connected Tuesday, a trial tally for ballot choices successful 2022 arsenic much cities and states instrumentality purpose astatine rising rents, a continued detonation successful short-term rentals and the depressed housing stock nationwide.

The epicenter of the enactment was successful the West, peculiarly successful Colorado, wherever lodging prices person skyrocketed successful caller years, with short-term rentals helping pb the way. In Leadville, a scenic erstwhile metallic mining town, voters overwhelmingly approved a caller 3 percent taxation connected visitors staying successful hotels, motels and short-term rentals, which volition beryllium utilized to make much affordable housing.

Measures to summation fees connected short-term rentals passed successful Telluride, Avon and Ouray; Vail approved a income taxation summation for housing.

“If folks privation to play successful the beauteous mountains of Colorado, past individuals indispensable besides beryllium capable to unrecorded and enactment successful those aforesaid towns,” said Corrine Rivera Fowler, the manager of argumentation and ineligible advocacy astatine the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center.

Other cities and counties astir the state passed akin initiatives. In coastal Lincoln County, Ore., wherever tourism is simply a large economical driver, the sole point connected the ballot was a measurement that would necessitate the phasing retired of short-term rental homes successful unincorporated residential areas — and it prevailed successful spite of a ample spending run by opposing groups. Houses utilized for short-term rentals person pushed up rents n tourer towns, making them unaffordable for workers. In immoderate cities, houses targeting short-term rentals person been built faster than cheaper units for lower-income residents.

In some Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., residents approved rent-control measures, and successful Boston, Michelle Wu won the mayor’s contention aft calling for a signifier of rent control.

Other cities approved backing measures specified arsenic enslaved issues oregon dedicated taxation gross for housing. In Albuquerque, voters approved caller bonds that would concern the operation and rehabilitation of low- and moderate-income housing.

Experts expect much of the aforesaid successful the adjacent predetermination cycles.

“As lodging availability decreases and lodging costs summation successful cities, particularly large cities across galore states, voters volition proceed to spot much housing-related measures connected the ballot,” said Josh Altic, the ballot measures task manager astatine Ballotpedia.