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To the Editor: 

In a town that's often bitterly divided by politics, everyone agrees that Berkeley is in dire need of safe, affordable housing. The challenge: how to pay for such housing when federal funds have gotten scarce. One way is to vote for Measure M. 

By slightly increasing the tax on the sale of property from its current rate of 1.5 percent to 2 percent of the sales price, Measure M will raise $2 million dollars a year. Half of that money will go to housing that is permanently affordable and provided to people who live or work in Berkeley. The rest will fund seismic upgrading of multi-unit residences and temporary emergency assistance to people who are at risk of becoming homeless. You will not pay this tax unless you buy or sell property. Measure M also exempts people who sell their home for less than $350,000 or at a loss. 

Zelda Bronstein, 

Planning Commission chair