L.A. County Measure A guide: Homeless sales tax voter guide

In 2017, Los Angeles County voters approved Measure H, a quarter-cent sales tax to fund homeless services. If not renewed, the tax will expire in 2027.

A coalition of large nonprofits, homeless service providers and labor unions is now backing a measure that would replace Measure H two years before it expires and raise the tax rate to a half cent per dollar. The tax would remain in effect indefinitely unless repealed by voters.

Because Measure A qualified for the ballot by citizen initiative, it is exempt from the two-thirds majority required of government-initiated taxes. It requires a simple majority for passage.

If approved, Measure A is estimated to raise more than $1 billion annually.

What would this measure do?

The measure specifies that 60% of the proceeds would go to the county for homeless services. Of that, at least 15% would be allocated to cities, councils of government and unincorporated areas based on the annual point-in-time homeless count conducted by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. At least 1.65% would go to an innovation fund to test new ideas for future, larger-scale programs.

The remaining 40% would largely be dedicated to housing production. The largest chunk, 35.75%, would go to the newly formed Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency to fund the development of affordable housing. The Los Angeles County Development Authority would receive 3%, and 1.25% would be set aside for accountability, data and research.

Goals

The measure specifies five primary goals: increase the number of people moving from encampments into permanent housing; reduce the number of unhoused people with mental illness and/or substance use disorders; increase the number of people permanently leaving homelessness; prevent people from falling into homelessness; and increase the number of affordable housing units in Los Angeles County.

Authors of the measure included layers of oversight that they say improve on Measure H. Two new oversight bodies created by the Board of Supervisors will guide the spending. An executive committee made up of elected officials from cities and the county will develop a plan and oversee its execution. The Leadership Table, a diverse group of government officials, service providers, business executives, faith leaders and academics, will advise the executive committee.

Before the Nov. 5 election, the Leadership Table will publish draft metrics to plot progress toward meeting the goals. If the measure is approved, the executive committee will approve final metrics no later than April 1. Funds could be shifted from any program not meeting its goals by the end of 2030.

Proponents

Proponents of the measure say it is needed to increase the production of housing for homeless people and to prevent the loss of services to as many as 49,000. They cite estimates that homelessness would increase 25% without it after Measure H expires.

Two committees working on behalf of the measure have reported $6 million in contributions. Leading donors are California Community Foundation, with $2 million, and United Way of Greater Los Angeles, with $1.58 million. Labor and trade unions have donated $1.93 million and organizations that provide homeless services $1.76 million. Real estate and investment interests have donated about $65,000.

Opponents

There is currently no organized opposition, but the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. opposes the measure, contending it is a special purpose tax put on the ballot by groups that will benefit from it.

Money

Unlike in 2017, when several cities were exempt from the increase because their rates were already at the maximum sales tax set by state law, all counties in Los Angeles County will incur at least a 0.25% increase. AB 1679, passed by the Legislature in 2023, allows the county to exceed the cap for funds dedicated to homelessness. The increase will be 0.5% in the cities of Compton, Lynwood, Pico Rivera, Santa Monica and South Gate.