The housing crisis in Los Angeles has been a critical issue for years, with the number of unhoused individuals rising to about 75,000. Measure A isn’t just a tax increase; it’s a commitment to a future where affordable housing and the support services necessary to transform lives – one home at a time.
“Everybody deserves a home,” said Veronica Lewis, director of the Homeless Outreach Program Integrated Care System (HOPICS). “Nobody deserves to live in squalor, and we need everybody’s support to get this passed so we can continue to do the great work, build on what we’ve learned and do even better, build more affordable housing and make sure our workforce is taken care of.”
To address the growing unhoused population, a new measure on the November 2024 ballot will ask Los Angeles voters to approve a one-half cent increase in taxes. This funding is intended to support homelessness and affordable housing efforts in L.A. County.
Previously, in 2017, residents approved Measure H, which increased sales tax by one-quarter of a cent and raised $350 million dollars a year to help reduce and prevent homelessness. Since Measure H will expire in 2027, Measure A aims to replace it with a ½ cent increase.
This new measure will continue the efforts in combating homelessness and introduce new initiatives including affordable housing developments, rent relief and free legal assistance for those facing eviction. With Measure A, organizations like HOPICS will be able to continue their work in providing essential services to the unhoused community, including interim housing, access centers and street engagement.
At a recent conference, Veronica Lewis shared what L.A. would look like without it. “Without Measure A, the important work that HOPICS and many organizations like ours across the county and city are doing will go away,” Lewis said.
Supporters of Measure A emphasize the importance of taxpayer dollars going to issues that are critically important like helping unhoused individuals through interim permanent housing and providing them with the resources they might need. The measure aspires to move individuals from the streets of Los Angeles and into standardized homes, receiving the treatment they need to prevent homelessness.
Steve Coumparoules, an unhoused man, shared how HOPICS has significantly impacted individuals like him by providing drug tests and cleaning supplies which help prevent the spread of diseases. He is appreciative of the organization’s discreteness and hospitality.
“I’ll be honest, I’ve grown and loved most of the HOPICS crew that I’ve met. They’ve been really close and personal, and we’re on a first name basis, like we’re actually good friends for a long time,” Steve Coumparoules said.
This measure will ensure that organizations like HOPICS and board and care facilities, “can continue to provide housing and care that Angelinos so desperately need today,” Bennie Tinson, executive director of the Licensed Adult Residential Care Association (LARCA), said.
Measure A is designed to provide essential services to the unhoused community, ensure safer streets as individuals with mental health needs receive treatment to get better, provide affordable and quality houses to those in need and ensure the funding goes to programs that are the most successful to make things better for the most vulnerable members of our community. The measure would take effect immediately and remain unless voters decide to replace it.