Airport -> Housing Measure Will Wait Until 2028…at Best

A proposed ballot initiative that would have allowed housing on part of the future Santa Monica Airport site will not appear on the November 2026 ballot after organizers failed to gather enough signatures before the deadline. Supporters of the measure are still trying to get enough signatures to place the measure on the 2028 ballot. The deadline for that submission is August 12.

The measure, backed by leaders in Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights (SMRR), Unite Here Local 11, and the Cloverfield Commons coalition, sought to permit up to 3,000 permanently affordable housing units on roughly one-quarter of the airport property after the airport closes in 2028, while reserving the remainder for parks and open space.

The proposal sparked one of Santa Monica’s most contentious land-use debates in years. Supporters argued the city should use a portion of the nearly 200-acre site to address its housing shortage and create homes for teachers, hospitality workers, healthcare employees, and other essential workers. Opponents—including the Great Park Coalition, Santa Monica Forward, and several elected officials—contended that the measure could undermine voter-approved plans for a Great Park, delay airport closure efforts, and lacked a clear financial path for building thousands of subsidized units.

Although the initiative will not appear on this year’s ballot, the broader debate over whether housing should be part of the airport’s future remains unresolved. The airport is scheduled to close at the end of 2028, and discussions about how to balance parkland, housing, and other community uses are likely to continue as planning for the site moves forward.

After word had leaked that the signature gathering effort for 2026 hadn’t gained enough signatures, Next broke the news. We printed a retraction after Cloverfield Commons, the umbrella organization pushing for housing at the airport, wrote to supporters saying the measure was still being pushed and calling out our initial reporting. Apparently, their statement was in relations to the 2028 efforts as the 2026 effort had already ended.

About The Author

Damien Newton

Damien is the executive director of the Southern California Streets Initiative which publishes Santa Monica Next, Streetsblog Los Angeles, Streetsblog San Francisco, Streetsblog California and Longbeachize.

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