California State University Staff First-Time Homebuyer Down Payment Loan Program Initiative (2026)
| California State University Staff First-Time Homebuyer Down Payment Loan Program Initiative | |
|---|---|
|
|
|
| Election date |
|
| Topic Higher education governance and Housing assistance programs |
|
| Status Cleared for signature gathering |
|
| Type Initiated constitutional amendment |
Origin |
The California State University Staff First Time Homebuyer Downpayment Loan Program Initiative (#25-0018) may appear on the ballot in California as an initiated constitutional amendment on November 3, 2026.
The initiative would create a first-time homebuyer downpayment loan program for qualifying staff of state universities. The initiative would authorize loans of up to 20% for downpayments for first-time homebuyers who have worked for the state university system for at least five years.[1]
Measure design
- See also: Text of measure
The initiative would require the University of California system to establish a down-payment loan program for support staff who have worked for UC for at least five years and are first-time homebuyers. The loans would cover up to 20% of the purchase price of the house. The loan payment would be made when the house is resold, not monthly as with a mortgage. Repayment would be equal to the loan amount and a proportional amount of any increase in the house value when sold. The initiative would prohibit tax revenue, state funds, and student tuition from being used to finance the program. The initiative also requires UC to use its Short-Term Investment Pool (STIP), which it currently also uses to fund a different home loan program for select faculty and senior managers.[1]
The program would be limited to 300 loans or the number of loans UC provided to faculty and senior managers in the preceding year through its other program, whichever is greater. The initiative would also require that at least 75% of the new loans issued each year be given to support staff with household incomes at or below the area median income.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title is as follows:
| “ | Requires University of California to provide downpayment home loans to certain staff. Initiative constitutional amendment.[2] | ” |
Petition summary
The summary provided for inclusion on signature petition sheets is as follows:
| “ | University of California (UC) currently offers home loans to faculty and managers. This measure requires UC to provide no-interest 20% downpayment loans to non-faculty, non-managerial staff who are first-time homeowners with five years’ experience working for UC. No monthly payments required; staff must repay loan—plus 20% of any increase in home’s value—when home is sold or refinanced. Requires 75% of loans be made available to staff with household incomes at or below area median income. Prohibits using taxpayer funds, tuition, or General Fund to fund loans.[2] | ” |
Full text
The full text of the initiative can be read here.
Support
AFSCME 3299 is leading the campaign in support of the initiative.[1]
Supporters
Former Officials
- Former State Rep. Anthony Rendon (D)
Arguments
You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Opposition
Ballotpedia has not located a campaign in opposition to the ballot measure. You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, with us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Background
University of California
The University of California is the state's public university system, comprised of nine undergraduate campuses and one graduate campus. In 2024-2025, the system had a budget of $54 billion according to the Legislative Analyst's Office. The system had about 272,000 employees, including 112,66 career support staff, 14,482 tenured or tenured track faculty, and 191 senior managers as of April 2024. The remaining employees are primarily low-level managers, lecturers, and student workers.[3]
Existing UC Housing Assistance Program
The University of California currently offers a housing assistance program for senior managers and select faculty that provides loans covering about 90% of the purchase price of a house, with borrowers making a 10% down payment. Borrowers repay UC directly for the home loans.[3]
Eligible participants include academic Senate members, acting assistant professors, senior managers, UC Hastings faculty members, university or UC Hastings employees who will be appointed to eligible categories effective no more than 180 days after loan closing, or other appointees who have received required additional approvals for eligible participation. Eligible properties must be the borrower's primary residence and include a residential property not used for income-producing purposes, single-family residences, condominiums, and properties in a Planned Unit Development. Chancellors who are required to reside in university-provided property can apply for the program to purchase a secondary residence.[4]
Path to the ballot
An initiated constitutional amendment is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. Eighteen (18) states allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments.
In California, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 8% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval. The requirements to get initiated constitutional amendments certified for the 2026 ballot:
- Signatures: 874,641 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 #25-0018
- September 5, 2025: Michael Avant filed the initiative with the California Attorney General's Office.[1]
- November 12, 2025: The initiative was cleared for signature gathering.
- January 22, 2026: The secretary of state reported that the campaign collected 25% of the required signatures.[5]
See also
|
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Attorney General Information: Initiative and Referendum Proposals Pending Review By Attorney General, "25-0018 text," accessed September 2, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Legislative Analyst's Office, "Housing assistance program for certain University of California employees." accessed February 4, 2026
- ↑ University of California Board of Regents, "Regents Policy 5309: Policy on the University of California Employee Housing Assistance Program," accessed February 4, 2026
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "25% reached," accessed January 26, 2026
