Comm-Hit would be funded by the interest from existing federal bonds, meaning that no one's taxes would be increased automatically. Individual taxpayers would be able to make contributions to Comm-Hit by checking a box on their income taxes. Unfortunately, HUD proposes issuing more housing vouchers. This allows the feds to sidestep the issue of adding new low-income units to the nation's housing stock. Section 8 vouchers are useless in any area where demand for housing is high and vacancy rates are low.
Landlords usually take the opportunity to rent to higher-income, nonsubsidized tenants.
Housing shortages are nothing new in San Francisco, or any market economy. At the end of World War II, returning service people faced a severe housing crisis that even the New Deal had failed to address completely. The International Longshoreman and Warehouse Union led actions, including office occupations and work stoppages, to force federal representatives to build new, affordable housing. This resulted in many of the programs being dismantled by Democrats and Republicans today. This campaign is an important step in the fight for housing and other crucial social needs.