New L.A. County Tax Boosts Homelessness Programs Starting Tuesday

An updated anti-homelessness funding initiative, which was endorsed by Los Angeles County voters last November, will go into effect on Tuesday. This change will result in an increase of the county’s sales tax by a quarter-cent.

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Voters in Los Angeles County have passed Measure A, which imposes an additional half-penny sales tax, aimed at sustaining current services and generating extra funds to tackle the area’s homeless problem. This new initiative will supersede the previous quarter-penny county sales tax endorsed by voters back in 2017 as part of what was known then as Measure H. The earlier taxation plan, designed with a duration of ten years, would originally conclude in 2027.

Measure A — the Affordable Housing, Homelessness Solutions and Prevention Now initiative — will stay indefinitely until voters decide to repeal it.

As stated in the legislation, approximately 60% of the revenue from the sales tax will fund programs addressing homelessness, with 15% of this amount allocated to municipalities according to their yearly tally of homeless individuals during the point-in-time count. An additional 35.75% will go towards supporting the L.A. County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency, established by the state Legislature in 2023 to manage solutions related to homelessness.

This measure also requires routine monitoring and reporting on the subsequent outcomes:

-- Boost the number of individuals transitioning from street encampments into stable housing solutions;

-- Decrease the count of individuals with mental health issues or addiction problems who are homeless;

-- Boost the number of individuals who permanently exit homelessness;

-- Stop individuals from becoming homeless;

-- Boost the count of budget-friendly housing units in L.A. County.

This requirement mandates that elected representatives and associated entities set objectives biennially and monitor their advancement.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors ratified their homelessness funding strategy last week, approving $656 million derived from Measure A, $209 million leftover from Measure H funds, and an additional $42.6 million through state grants.

The Board of Supervisors plans to vote on a proposition on Tuesday. If approved, this could grant the county direct management over the funds it presently directs to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, commonly referred to as LAHSA—a collaborative body between the city and county.

The Los Angeles City Council agreed to a comparable resolution, urging an investigation into sidestepping LAHSA and instead handling contracts directly with organizations focused on assisting the homeless population.

Following damning reports accusing the agency of misusing or mismanaging funds and various other problems, both entities have significantly restricted LAHSA's authority concerning funding allocation.

The organization aimed at assisting the homeless came into existence in 1993 to tackle the issue of homelessness within Los Angeles County. As the primary body responsible for this task, it oversees and administers funding from various sources—federal, state, county, and municipal—for shelters, housing, and support services provided to individuals facing homelessness across the entirety of the L.A. Continuum of Care area. This zone includes every municipality in the region except for Long Beach, Pasadena, and Glendale.

Officials from LAHSA have challenged certain audit conclusions and encouraged continued collaboration with authorities. The homelessness organization has initiated steps to enhance openness by developing user-friendly databases, aimed at improving monitoring of vacant shelter spaces and service results.

Agency officials stated they expect a reduction of 5% to 10% in unsheltered homelessness within the area, indicating the second year in a row with such a drop.

The initial findings align with those from the previous year, indicating an 10.7% reduction in unsheltered homelessness within the city of Los Angeles and a 5.1% decline in the county during that period. The official data from the 2025 tally will likely see release around late spring or early summer.

“When I initially arrived at LAHSA, I announced publicly that our aim was to decrease unsheltered homelessness within three years,” said VA Lecia Adams Kellum, CEO of LAHSA, in an earlier statement in March. “We achieved this goal in just two years.”

The organization celebrated the initial outcomes, with authorities stating these indicate the area is heading in the correct direction toward "addressing" homelessness.

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