As Executive Director of the Housing Leadership Council (HLC), I am proud to share our new report on the impact of Measure K funding in San Mateo County. This work is the product of deep collaboration, and it tells a powerful story: public investment works. When we invest in affordable housing, we invest in the stability, dignity, and future of our neighbors.
We produced this report to educate, inspire, and demonstrate the value of public investment in housing. We want to show what’s possible when a community comes together and makes housing a priority. We hope it encourages continued investment, strengthens political will, and reminds us that behind every statistic is a family, a senior, or a worker who now has a safe place to call home.
The story is clear: Measure K has worked exactly as voters intended when they overwhelmingly approved it in 2016. It has produced thousands of homes, brought in hundreds of millions of outside dollars, and kept families and seniors rooted in San Mateo County.
Main Takeaways
- We’ve delivered real results.
Since 2016, San Mateo County has dedicated about $192 million from Measure K to affordable housing and homelessness programs. That investment has helped create or preserve 4,790 affordable homes across 71 developments, with more than 3,000 already complete and hundreds more under construction.
- The impact has been transformative.
These funds have not only built homes — they’ve stabilized families, supported essential workers, and ensured seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities can remain in their communities. Every Measure K dollar has been leveraged with state, federal, and private funding, multiplying its impact.
- Housing is a key solution to homelessness.
Measure K has directly funded hundreds of homes for people currently or formerly unhoused, proving that when we invest in permanent housing, we reduce homelessness and strengthen public health and safety.
- But the need is growing.
San Mateo County’s senior population is expected to dramatically expand over the next ten years, and housing costs continue to climb. Today, renters need to earn nearly $64 an hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment here. With federal cuts to housing and other safety net programs, local investment is more critical than ever. Without county and city investment, too many of our neighbors will be priced out or left without a home.
Gratitude
We are deeply grateful to California Housing Partnership Corporation who researched and wrote this report as well as the County of San Mateo Department of Housing for providing this data, and Melanie Tan Baldwin for her design talent and support. Most of all, we thank the voters and lawmakers who supported Measure K. Your vision and commitment have made San Mateo County a leader in addressing the housing crisis and given thousands of families the chance to thrive.
The work is not finished. We must keep investing, keep building, and keep proving that housing is the foundation for a stronger, healthier, more equitable community.