Los Angeles County voters are considering Measure A, also known as the Homelessness Services and Affordable Housing Ordinance, which, if passed, would impose a half-cent sales tax to help fund services and housing for homeless residents.
Voters in the past passed Measure H in 2017a similar measure that implemented a 1/4 cent tax. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said the county has since been able to house about 22,000 people with money raised by Measure H.
Measure H expires in 2027, after which Measure A will go into effect and replace the current 1/4-cent tax with a half-cent tax.
Supporters of Measure A believe it would raise nearly $1 billion a year, with proceeds used to hire service workers and fund programs aimed at addressing and preventing homelessness. The money would also be used to provide physical and mental health care, emergency care, temporary and permanent housing options, employment counseling and subsidized employment. It would also focus on case management and outreach options, substance abuse treatment, building and preserving affordable housing, and funding the collection and analysis of data to evaluate the programs funded by Measure H.
Supporters of Measure A say allowing Measure H to expire without replacement funding would lead to a spike in homelessness.
Opponents are unsure whether the money would actually be used to fund the resources listed on the ballot after a recent state audit found California’s poor handling of homelessness funding and mediocre fraud protections.
