With voters poised to approve Measure H, Board of Supervisors Chairman Mark Ridley-Thomas moved to streamline the Los Angeles County bureaucracy to make efficient use of the incoming funds to end the crisis of homelessness.
He filed a read-in motion, co-authored with Supervisor Janice Hahn, that seeks to facilitate the implementation of the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative. “We need to get to work right away to fulfill our promise to prevent and end homelessness,” Board Chairman Ridley-Thomas said. “Passage of Measure H dictates that the Board must take swift action to successfully and expeditiously implement its most important provisions.”
“In an incredible demonstration of generosity and compassion, a supermajority of voters in the County chose to tax themselves in order to fix the current homelessness crisis,” Supervisor Hahn said. “Now the hard work begins. We will immediately start work to scale up the most effective, impactful programs so that we can finally begin to break the cycle of homelessness trapping tens of thousands of people in LA County.”
If passed by voters, Measure H would create a ¼ cent sales tax over a decade to raise $355 million annually for services to the homeless. The funding is expected help 45,000 homeless men, women and children move into stable housing within the next five years, and provide them with high-quality, multidimensional supportive services necessary to succeed in the long run. Measure H is also intended to prevent 30,000 people from becoming homeless.
Board Chairman Ridley-Thomas’ read-in motion calls on the many County departments and agencies tasked to implement the 47 strategies of the County’s Homeless Initiative to report back in 30 days on actions and policy changes needed to ensure the successful implementation of Measure H. This includes boosting staffing and training; and constructing, leasing or rehabilitating facilities to serve the homeless. The Board is expected to hear the motion March 14.