Los Angeles County Council to consider placing homeless measure on November ballot

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will consider putting an initiative on the November ballot that would repeal the county’s quarter-cent sales tax for homeless prevention measures and replace it with a sales tax of half a cent for an indefinite period which would be used for the same purpose. .

The county Registrar/Registrar’s Office announced last week that supporters of affordable housing, homelessness solutions and prevention now measures had collected enough valid signatures to place the initiative on the ballot .

Supporters of the measure said they submitted more than 410,000 petition signatures, well above the 238,922 required.

Once the signatures are verified, the matter will go before the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. The board will have the choice of immediately placing the initiative on the November ballot or requesting a full report on the measure, which will be submitted within 30 days to the board, which will then vote to place the measure on the ballot .

The proposed ballot measure would repeal Measure H, a quarter-cent sales tax approved by county voters in 2017, and replace it with a half-cent sales tax to create a dedicated revenue stream in the fight against homelessness. Measure H had a lifespan of 10 years, meaning it will expire in 2027.

The proposed new measure, if approved by voters, would not have an expiration date.

Supporters say the new initiative would be a game-changer for the county and its approach to the homeless crisis. Supporters said the measure would raise $1.2 billion a year.

The coalition of supporters includes more than 80 organizations such as the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, California Community Foundation, United Way of Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council, SEIU 721, among others .

They aim to focus more funds generated by the half-cent sales tax to build more affordable housing, increase access to mental health and substance abuse treatment and strengthen accountability measures — including the mandatory legal to produce results.