Measure H
Los Angeles Elections | March 7, 2017
With over 46,000 homeless, it's definitely gotten to a state of emergency.
Our LA voter guideThe Companion Piece Housing Alone Can't Cover
Measure H adds a 0.25% sales tax across LA County, generating an estimated $350 million a year toward the causes and effects of homelessness — mental healthcare, substance abuse treatment, general health care, education, job training, and housing subsidies. It requires a two-thirds vote to pass and automatically expires after 10 years.
It's designed to work alongside Measure HHH, which voters already passed in November to fund construction of new homeless housing. HHH will help over time, but building housing takes years, and in the meantime LA County has more than 46,000 homeless residents who need support now. Measure H is aimed squarely at that gap, and it will also help support residents once HHH housing comes online.
Generally, stacking small permanent taxes on top of each other isn't a great way to fund ongoing needs — it adds up fast. But a temporary tax tied to a genuine emergency is a different case, and with no official arguments filed in opposition, there isn't much organized pushback to weigh against it. At the current scale of homelessness in the county, a 10-year, self-expiring tax is a reasonable price for real intervention.
Why We Love It
- Funds direct services (mental health, substance abuse treatment, job training, housing subsidies) that complement Measure HHH's new housing construction
- Automatically sunsets after 10 years rather than becoming a permanent tax
- No official arguments were filed in opposition
Considerations
- Adds to the county's overall sales tax rate
- Requires a two-thirds supermajority to pass
We Recommend This To Readers Who:
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Already supported Measure HHH
Measure H funds the wraparound services that new HHH housing will need once it's built.
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Want time-limited rather than permanent tax increases
The 0.25% tax expires automatically after 10 years.
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Are concerned about the scale of county homelessness
Over 46,000 people are currently homeless in LA County.
A Closer Look
Vote Yes on Measure H
A temporary, self-expiring tax that funds the immediate services LA County's homeless population needs while HHH-funded housing gets built.
