Californians will vote on Proposition 1 in November.
That measure would let the state borrow just over $11 billion through a state bond to fund affordable housing programs.
Supporters say Prop. 1 would help build rental housing…and provide supportive housing for homeless people.
They also say the measure could also create up to 40-thousand new homes and fund mortgages for veterans.
Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson is the chair of the Big Cities Mayor Coalition. She says the Proposition would help Californians facing a housing crunch.
“It actually can help them with a down payment," says Dawson, "it can help them be able to afford a house and get in there, which to me is very important.”
Republican lawmakers who oppose Prop. 1 say the state has already spent billions without resolving the housing crisis, and point out that only one percent of the bond is dedicated to veterans.