Vote Yes on County and Local Ballot Measures A, E, and V!
/It’s not just the Presidential race that will be on the ballot this year! Several key measures in Santa Clara County, San Jose, and Mountain View will have a significant impact to improve the lives of local immigrant communities. Read on to learn more about Santa Clara County’s Measure A, the City of San Jose’s Measure E, and the City of Mountain View’s Measure V.
Measure A - Santa Clara County
What is Measure A?
Measure A provides affordable housing for the most vulnerable population in Santa Clara County.
Why is it important?
Santa Clara County has become one of the most expensive places to live in the country, the average price for the median home is reaching $1 million, rents have skyrocketed, and we have a growing homeless population. Measure A makes it possible for everyone to have access to affordable housing. It is important that our most vulnerable have the opportunity to this basic need. The beneficiaries of this measure would include: veterans, seniors, disabled, low and moderate income individuals/families, foster youth, victims of abuse, homeless, and individuals suffering from mental health or substance abuse illnesses. Affordable housing will also benefit all the low-income families who are often immigrants working low paying jobs.
Because we live in one of the most expensive counties, many people who work in Santa Clara County cannot afford to live in the cities where they work and are forced to commute from afar. Our community shouldn’t have to decide whether to pay high rents or put food on the table. It is important that hardworking families have the opportunity to a stable home because a healthy home has a great impact on the strength of our communities.
What will be the result?
This measure will create and maintain affordable housing for everyone and will reduce the number of homeless in our streets. A healthy home is not just a place to live but a healthy home is the foundation to a healthy life. Providing affordable housing for our working families will improve business environment, reduce traffic congestion, and therefore improve air quality because people can live close to where they work. The $950 million bond will benefit thousands of community members. $700 million support housing for our homeless, $100 million for low-income families and $150 million for working families and first-time homebuyer programs.
Please join SIREN and vote YES on Measure A, you can assure that everyone in our community has a roof over their head.
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Measure E - City of San Jose
What is Measure E?
Measure E will require businesses to offer any available additional hours to their current, qualified part-time employees before hiring new employees.
Why is it important?
A YES vote on Measure E will require employers with 36 or more employees to give additional work hours to existing part-time employees before resorting to hiring new employees. This measure would also include subcontractors and temporary workers. Extra work hours should be offered to the dedicated workers of a business before looking for new employees to join the company. Often, the people who work part-time jobs are college students or single mothers who would benefit from the extra work hours. Employers often prefer to hire new help to avoid paying fair wages and benefits. 77% of these workers make less than $15 an hour but even if they had a decent wage, the lack of hours doesn’t help their economic situation.
What will be the result?
By offering additional work hours to part-time employees, the business doesn’t have to waste time training new help but rather give additional work hours to existing qualified employees who will benefit from the extra hours.
Please join SIREN and vote YES on Measure E, so we are ensuring that people who work part-time will get the opportunity to have access to additional work hours so that they can make ends meet.
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Measure V - City of Mountain View
What is Measure V?
Measure V protects affordable Mountain View housing by limiting rent increase from 2% to 5% annually for certain rental units, limiting evictions to specific situations, and protects renters from landlord retaliation.
Why is it important?
This measure would protect renters from being evicted; the only reasons to be evicted would be for unpaid rent, illegal activity or breach of lease. This measure is important to the immigrant community of Mountain View who already face high priced rental units and have a difficult time making ends meet. This measure is important to the immigrant community because immigrants are often victims of landlord retaliation and often don’t seek help, particularly if they may be undocumented. It is important to limit rent increases because, since 2012, rents have increased about 54% but unfortunately, wages have not.
What will be the result?
By voting YES on Measure V, we are ensuring that rents are reasonable, we keep housing costs stable, and we protect our community members from the fear they are constantly in of losing their housing.
Please join SIREN and vote YES on Measure V, we will ensure that everyone in our community is protected from drastic rent increase, eviction and landlord retaliation.
Be sure to also check out our state and local voter guides available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese!
