Ballot Breakdown: Does Prop 1 help or harm our communities?
This is the first in our blog series dedicated to breaking down propositions on the ballot.
We are living in the midst of one of the biggest mental health, housing, and economic crises, and this Primary Election, all of these questions are on the ballot. These are all particularly important issues to AAPIs in California, given our experiences with housing insecurity and our legacies of war, migration, and occupation that continue to impact our elders and youth alike. We know that any cuts to mental health services to our community will leave community members with nowhere to go and without trusted lifelines for help. Our communities deserve more, but will Proposition 1 help or harm us?
Our stance: No position
AAPI FORCE and our Steering Committee decided not to take a position on Proposition 1 because the answer to the question above was not clear. Prop 1 would result in both benefits and harms to our communities.
What is Prop 1?
Proposition 1, the Behavioral Health Services Program and Bond Measure, has two parts:
Changes the Mental Health Services Act, which is how mental health services are funded in the state. Prop 1 does not generate new funding for services.
Issues $6.38 billon in bonds for constructing permanent supportive housing and mental health treatment beds for unhoused people and veterans struggling with mental health disorders or addiction.
How did we get here?
Proposition 1 is the only statewide measure on the Primary ballot. The measure is the result of two laws passed through the Legislature, SB 326 and AB 531. Proposition 1 is a major priority of Governor Newsom, as a part of his effort to clear encampments and address the addiction crisis, and the Governor has used his influence to move all other propositions to the General Election. The Measure is aimed at resolving homelessness and mental illness by generating funds for mental healthcare capital projects and infrastructure, but not services.
What are the potential benefits of Prop 1? [1]
Builds some needed treatment places: There is a shortage in places to receive mental health and substance abuse treatment, and while the measure would build an estimated 6,800 new treatment places, the funds likely won’t be enough to construct the full number of places needed.
Small reduction in statewide homelessness: The housing units built by the bond would reduce homelessness by a small amount. It would house only 2% of the 170,000+ people living on the streets in CA.
What are the potential harms of Prop 1?
Cuts to BIPOC mental health & community wellness programs: The measure would change the way that counties get state funding for mental health programs, resulting in cuts to preventative wellness programs that are key to BIPOC Californians, such as resource centers, youth programs, and other cultural community programming that doesn't require a formal diagnosis.
Expansion of CARE Courts: Disability justice advocates fear Prop 1 will expand involuntary mental health treatment through controversial CARE Courts. Though the measure will not include funding for services, it will provide funding for more facilities where involuntary treatment can take place.
The mental health, housing, and economic crises facing our communities are complex and longstanding. The remedies offered by Proposition 1 can help, but they are not without serious consequences.
Stay tuned for our voter guide and our positions on future ballot measures this year.
[1] “Authorizes $6.38 Billion in Bonds to Build Mental Health Treatment Facilities for Those with Mental Health and Substance Use Challenges; Provides Housing for the Homeless. Legislative Statute.” Proposition 1 [Ballot], 5 Mar. 2024, lao.ca.gov/BallotAnalysis/Proposition?number=1&year=2024.