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Exhibit A <br /> (Here set forth the unique numeric identifier provided by the Attorney General <br /> and circulating title and summary prepared by the Attorney General. Both the <br /> Attorney General's unique numeric identifier and the circulating title and <br /> summary must also be printed across the top of each page of the petition whereon <br /> signatures are to appear.) <br /> We, the undersigned, registered, qualified voters of California, residents of <br /> County , hereby propose amendments to the Constitution of California, <br /> and petition the Secretary of State to submit the same to the voters of California <br /> for their adoption or rejection at the next succeeding general election or at any <br /> special statewide election held prior to that general election or as otherwise <br /> provided by law. The proposed constitutional amendments read as follows: <br /> SECTION 1. The people of the State of California find and declare all of the <br /> following: <br /> (a) California's housing crisis is primarily due to a failure to provide enough <br /> housing (to own or rent) that is affordable for working class and lower income <br /> Californians, and this crisis has worsened due to massive reductions in available <br /> funding to help local governments encourage more affordable housing <br /> production. The involvement of large financial institutions and speculators in our <br /> housing markets and recent state laws that usurp the power of local government <br /> to exercise its constitutional authority to make local land use planning and zoning <br /> decisions have combined to further restrict affordable housing options and <br /> displace many working class families and people of color from their own historic <br /> communities. <br /> (b) Local government is best able to consider all the requisite factors and <br /> make the difficult land use planning and zoning decisions to ensure that new <br /> development is supported by the infrastructure and utilities required to maintain <br /> appropriate levels of public services, including police and fire services, parklands <br /> and public open spaces, transportation, parking, and schools. The specific needs <br /> and challenges facing every California community vary greatly and therefore <br /> require significant input and leadership from local government to achieve best <br /> outcomes on land use planning and zoning issues, including the provision of <br /> affordable housing and protecting the environment. <br /> (c) The State Legislature cannot adequately consider or address the unique <br /> impacts of land use planning and zoning laws on every local community, and <br /> recent state laws designed to require local governments to increase housing <br /> density and encourage the production of more market rate housing by minimizing <br /> public input and eliminating environmental review will not solve our affordable <br /> housing crisis. In fact, these state laws will harm communities by escalating <br /> housing costs and increasing property tax burdens instead of encouraging <br /> collaboration with local government to produce more affordable housing. <br />