Housing
CityLab Daily: On Ballot Initiatives, a Progressive Sweep
Also: California rejects rent control, and the strangest form of white flight.
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Taking the initiative: The national story may be that Democrats flipped the House of Representatives and Republicans held the Senate, but when it comes to voters weighing in on state and local laws, progressive causes carried the day. Urban policy priorities on the ballot got a thumbs-up from voters in a midterm election that saw historic turnout: California approved several measures toward increasing housing affordability; Portland, Oregon, picked up a new tax for environmental equity projects; and anti-gerrymandering measures won big in three states.