California Homeownership Loan Program and Single-Family Home Construction Initiative (2026)
| California Homeownership Loan Program and Single-Family Home Construction Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 3, 2026 | |
| Topic Housing assistance programs | |
| Status Cleared for signature gathering | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
The California Homeownership Loan Program and Single-Family Home Construction Initiative (#25-0013) may appear on the ballot in California as an initiated state statute on November 3, 2026.
The initiative would establish a homeownership loan program for households with incomes that do not exceed 200% of the area median income for a family of the same size in the county that requires at least a 3% of the purchase price of the qualified home for the downpayment. It would also authorize the California Housing Finance Agency to issue bonds not to exceed $25 billion to fund the program.[1][2]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title is as follows:
| “ | Creates loan program for middle-income buyers or qualified new homes. Initiative statute.[3] | ” |
Petition summary
The summary provided for inclusion on signature petition sheets is as follows:
| “ | Authorizes up to $25 billion in bonds to offer eligible buyers fixed-rate mortgages for up to 17% of the purchase price of a 'qualified new home' (new construction or first sale of converted nonresidential property, priced below about $1 million–$1.5 million, depending on county, adjusted annually). Borrowers must be California residents for one year, plan to occupy the home, earn less than 200% of area median income, and pay at least 3% down. Requires that bonds be repaid by homeowners’ mortgage payments, not State.[3] | ” |
Full text
The full text of the initiative can be read here.
Path to the ballot
An initiated state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends state statute. There are 21 states that allow citizens to initiate state statutes, including 14 that provide for direct initiatives and nine (9) that provide for indirect initiatives (two provide for both). An indirect initiated state statute goes to the legislature after a successful signature drive. The legislatures in these states have the option of approving the initiative itself, rather than the initiative appearing on the ballot.
In California, the number of signatures required for an initiated state statute is equal to 5% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval. The requirements to get initiated state statutes certified for the 2026 ballot:
- Signatures: 546,651 valid signatures are required.
- Deadline: The deadline for signature verification is June 25, 2026. However, the secretary of state suggested deadlines for turning in signatures of January 12, 2026, for initiatives needing a full check of signatures and April 17, 2026, for initiatives needing a random sample of signatures verified.
Initiative #25-0013
- August 15, 2025: Robert M. Hertzberg filed the initiative with the California Attorney General's Office.[1]
- October 22, 2025: The initiative was cleared for signatuer gathering.
- November 18, 2025: The secretary of state reported that the campaign had collected 25% of the number of signatures required.[2]
See also
View other measures certified for the 2026 ballot across the U.S. and in California.
Explore California's ballot measure history, including citizen-initiated ballot measures.
Understand how measures are placed on the ballot and the rules that apply.
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Attorney General Information: Initiative and Referendum Proposals Pending Review By Attorney General, "25-0013 text," accessed August 12, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 California Secretary of State, "Initiative and Referendum Qualification Status," accessed November 18, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
