By Jordan Huber

Jordan Huber is an election worker. The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Humboldt County Office of Elections.

Students at Humboldt struggle with housing insecurities at a staggering rate. A study done by the California State University (CSU) Basic Needs Initiative in 2018 showed that 20% of our fellow students will experience homelessness at some point in their time at our school. The university is building the Craftsman Mall complex across the highway, adding another 1,000 beds to the around 2,000 students currently housed in campus dorms. 

That still leaves around half of our student body to find housing off-campus. So, what are the options? Obviously, Arcata is the choice right? The average price to rent a one-bedroom apartment is $1,200. Anything more than a one-bedroom can take months of searching and application fees. McKinleyville? It is cheaper to rent there, but a lack of job opportunities for students in the area and transportation makes it difficult for students to live there, especially if they are unfamiliar to the area. McKinleyville struggles with a troubled past that leaves students hesitant to live there, particularly those that are non-white. It is the most removed from campus, and students struggle to find a community of people that they can identify with.

How about Eureka? The rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $300 cheaper than Arcata, the transportation system is better than McKinleyville, and there are plenty more jobs that work for student’s irregular schedules. The university boasts that it is the low-cost alternative to Arcata, and has even placed a campus store in downtown Eureka.

Eureka is designated as a pro-housing city by the state, allowing it access to special funds to fast-track housing. There are currently plans to build several new buildings specifically for low-income individuals in Old Town Eureka, with tens of millions of dollars secured in funding for these projects. 

Low-income housing always seems popular, until someone decides they do not want it next to their house or business. 

See the supporters for Measure F, the Housing for All Initiative.

Housing for All — that’s a good thing, right? Not this one. This is the best way to explain Measure F. Imagine there was a plan to ban plastic bags, but the company that makes the plastic bags is supporting it and will make a ton of money off of it. That’s this joke of a measure. Measures like this are why people hate politics. This measure has been allowed to have the name Housing for All, even though it will stop just under 200 units of affordable housing from being created. Eureka has already secured around $45 million dollars worth of funding for these projects. Passing Measure F means that Eureka will lose access to some of that money. 

Now why did I just throw a bunch of information and numbers at you about a ballot measure in Eureka? These types of shady dealings and misleading information on ballots are plaguing local communities. Professional landowners are trying to trick us by including phrases that they know students are in support of to get votes for fraudulent measures and propositions. If Eureka loses out on this housing, the price and pressure of housing will be passed on to us as well as vulnerable community members. The repercussions will be felt throughout the county. Students cannot afford to be priced out of even more housing. If you live in Eureka, consider re-registering to vote in Humboldt County so you can vote against Measure F and help protect housing for the next generation of students. 

Here are some even more horrifying reasons why we need to defeat Measure F. The reason that the Housing for All name has been allowed to stick is that Measure F will allegedly designate a piece of land, dubbed the Jacobs site, as a zone where the city can build housing. Supporters claim that they can take the housing projects that are projected to be built in Old Town and move it to this site that is further away from businesses. By passing this measure, it interferes with the city’s ability to decide how they want to use the space. The Jacobs site was already the subject of a mysterious deal this summer, where an unknown group of investors tried to swap other properties and over $5 million dollars for the property.

Measure F argues that parking spaces for businesses in Eureka are more important than providing housing. The company backing this project, Security National Master Holding Company, LLC, has spent over a $1 million dollars trying to get this passed, making it the most expensive measure in Eureka’s history. Almost every dollar spent in support of this measure has come from Security National. Security National also purchased the parking lot in front of Eureka City Hall and put up barricades so that no one can park in front of the building. Local business tycoon Rob Arkley is the one behind this company and has been on record disparaging the city manager of Eureka. Arkley has claimed that low income housing brings crime. Arkley was named in a scandal involving Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and a vacation stay that Arkley gifted Alito, which the Supreme Court Justice did not originally disclose in 2008. There is no way that Arkley has Eureka’s best interest at heart. He seeks to only serve himself and his associates by passing this measure.

The Rob Arkley’s of the world are counting on us to not be informed. Prove them wrong.

Jordan is a senior political science major and the president of the Politics Club. With a keen interest in current affairs and a passion for informed debate, Jordan brings a well-rounded perspective to their opinion column. Through their studies and leadership, Jordan is dedicated to exploring the complexities of political issues and fostering meaningful discussion.