For many years, Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) has been home to Skid Row, one of the largest concentrations of homeless individuals in the nation. Skid Row shows us first-hand that homelessness is a complex issue that requires a multi-faceted solution.
Los Angeles County leaders have proposed a comprehensive solution with Measure H, which is on the March 7 ballot. It would end homelessness for 45,000 individuals and families in five years and prevent it for another 30,000 over the same time period.
The Central City Association (CCA) strongly supports Measure H because it will provide the resources we need to bring proven solutions like permanent supportive housing, mental health services, jail-in-reach programs and specialized outreach to scale.
CCA also was a strong supporter of Proposition HHH, the measure voters in the City of Los Angeles approved last November to build permanent supportive housing for the chronically homeless. It will provide funding for facilities for homeless individuals, including storage and bridge housing.
Measure H would complement Proposition HHH by providing funding for programs throughout the entire county. Measure H also would focus on strategies that have a more immediate impact on homelessness. It would, for the first time, provide the resources and support that families and individuals need to avoid becoming homeless.
Measure H would accomplish these goals by investing $355 million a year for 10 years in the solutions that have been proven to prevent and end homelessness. These include homelessness prevention services; comprehensive supportive services, like mental health care and job training, and long-term solutions like permanent housing. The funding would come from a quarter cent sales tax increase, which would end after 10 years and would cost the average consumer a little more than $1 per month.
Measure H also has significant accountability and transparency components: Approval requires a two-thirds vote, and the funds may only be spent on strategies to end homelessness that are detailed in the measure. It would require an annual audit and create a five-member Citizens’ Oversight Advisory Board to review all expenditures and evaluate the effectiveness of the funded programs.
The strategies that would be funded through Measure H were developed by L.A. County’s Homelessness Initiative, which was a countywide process that included over 100 participating organizations, including CCA.
CCA has worked to make this issue a priority by advocating for a regional solution to homelessness at the State Capitol, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and City Hall. Measure H is a smart solution for one of the region’s greatest challenges. That’s why CCA has joined more than 220 other organizations and individuals in supporting it. Please join us on March 7 in voting yes on Measure H.
Jessica Lall is the president and CEO of the Central City Association of Los Angeles, which represents more than 400 businesses, trade associations and nonprofit organizations, which employ more than 350,000 people in Los Angeles County. For more information, please visit www.ccala.org.