Prop. 5 will free homes and help empty-nesters

While the Mercury News does not support Proposition 5, I do and I think most current and prospective homeowners should support it.

One major reason housing is so expensive is the lack of supply. Lack of supply is the result, in large part, of tax disincentives for changing one’s housing as circumstances change.

To free up housing in the Bay Area, all homeowners, but especially older ones, need more incentives to move into housing appropriate for their needs and make room for working families to occupy large single-family residences that are impractical for empty-nesters.

Prop. 5 will reduce extreme commutes and should take some pressure off the tight housing supply. Other localities in California may not benefit as much as the Bay Area, but here it will be a huge boon to working families and that’s why I support Prop. 5. — Chris Wiegel, Santa Clara