LA County voters have passed Measure A, which will allow the government to continue progress on ending homelessness with housing and services, while greatly expanding efforts to address the drivers of homelessness through affordable housing construction, homelessness prevention, and support for vulnerable renters.
Measure A funding will be shared by LA County, cities and councils of government, the Los Angeles County Development Authority and the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA), a body made up of leaders including the LA County Supervisors, elected officials representing cities countywide, as well as nonprofit and community leaders.
Transparency is built into the measure by requiring specific goals be established and ensuring accountability through oversight and public reporting.
From CalMatters, a nonprofit news organization that covers the state, “ [Measure A will] end the county’s existing quarter-cent sales tax for homelessness that was scheduled to expire in 2027 and replace it with a half-cent tax that would begin immediately and continue in perpetuity. That new tax is expected to raise $1 billion a year, and since it has no sunset, that’s $1 billion a year forever — or at least until voters revoke it.
The money will be administered by the county, adhering to certain spending formulas contained within the measure itself. Officials have vowed to keep tight tabs on spending. According to the text of the measure, 61% of the money raised is slated to pay for homeless services — including money for mental health and addiction treatment — while 35.5% will go to the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency for affordable housing.
The remaining balance, about 3%, will go to the county’s development authority to help produce housing.”
The measure will go into effect April 1, 2025, subject to certification of election results on December 3, 2024.
Photo credit – Project Homekey, City of Culver City
