A proposed measure to establish a permanent half-cent sales tax in Los Angeles County to fund affordable housing and homeless services has qualified for the November ballot, campaign organizers announced on Tuesday, June 18.
Known as the Affordable Housing, Homelessness Solutions and Prevention Now measure, it would repeal and replace the Measure H quarter-cent sales tax that funds homeless programs in L.A. County. Voters approved that tax in 2017, and it’s not scheduled to expire until 2027.
But those who want to replace the quarter-cent sales tax with a permanent half-cent tax say the proposed new measure not only would expand programs that tackle root causes of homelessness but focus on keeping people from losing their homes in the first place – something they say wasn’t part of past efforts to combat homelessness.
Last month, a coalition of housing affordability and mental health experts, service providers and others submitted more than 410,000 signatures to the county registrar’s office. To qualify for the Nov. 5 ballot, organizers needed to collect 238,922 valid signatures.
“It’s inspiring to see hundreds of thousands of L.A. County residents stepping up and affirming that we need bolder action to make housing more affordable and increased accountability that is tied to clear results. I’m deeply thankful to the thousands of volunteers who helped power forward this qualification effort,” Elise Buik, president and CEO of United Way of Greater L.A., said in a statement.
The proposed measure would focus on making housing more affordable and increasing mental health and substance abuse treatment. To promote accountability, service providers who receive funding would be required to meet performance goals, report how they spend their money and undergo annual audits.
Last month, the head of the Los Angeles County Business Federation, commonly known as BizFed, raised concerns about the proposal, saying that while business leaders are committed to supporting efforts to combat homelessness, with three years left on the Measure H tax, this proposal is “rushed” and would result in a “forever tax.”
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