Los Angeles voters consistently say homelessness is their top concern. But do they think this intractable problem can be solved by raising taxes on goods sold in L.A.?

County voters already supported higher sales taxes to address homelessness years ago. This November, a new measure will ask them to increase those taxes to fund new approaches to addressing the crisis.

Official title on the ballot: Measure A — Homelessness Services and Affordable Housing Ordinance

Understanding Measure A

For many Angelenos, no problem is as overwhelming, sad and frustrating as homelessness. It’s no wonder this issue is top of mind for voters: about one in every five Americans living without shelter resides in L.A. County.

More than 75,000 people in L.A. County do not have a home, according to the latest count. Those numbers plateaued this year. But in years past the region saw huge annual increases, sometimes by more than 10%.

The history behind it

Attempts to address these spikes are not new. In fact, more than 69% of L.A. County voters approved a 1/4 cent increase in sales taxes in 2017 to address homelessness. It was called Measure H, and it has raised hundreds of millions of dollars every year to provide services to people trying to exit homelessness.

Measure H is set to expire in 2027. That’s where this new measure comes in. Measure A aims to replace the existing 1/4 cent sales tax with a new 1/2 cent tax. That increased revenue would continue homeless services indefinitely, and it would funnel money into new efforts to develop affordable housing, provide rent relief to struggling tenants and offer free attorneys to renters facing eviction.

How it would work

If approved, Measure A would raise an estimated $1.1 billion per year for housing and homelessness efforts by levying a 1/2 cent tax on every $1 of goods sold in L.A. County. Certain items, such as groceries, are exempt from sales tax.

Measure A only needs support from a simple majority of voters in order to pass. This is different from the two-thirds support Measure H had to clear in 2017 to take effect.

Since that earlier vote, California Supreme Court rulings have clarified that citizen-led initiatives (like Measure A) only need majority support to pass, unlike tax increases proposed by local governments, which require two-thirds approval.

What people who support it say

Homeless service providers, tenant advocacy groups and labor unions say Measure A will create more affordable housing, prevent low-income renters from falling into homelessness, provide more mental healthcare and addiction treatment, and require funding recipients to achieve specific outcomes that will be tracked through audits.

They argue letting Measure H expire in 2027 without a new stream of revenue would cause L.A.’s homelessness numbers to spike as people are cut off from programs currently funded by the local sales taxe.

What people who oppose it say

Taxpayer groups say L.A. voters haven’t gotten their money’s worth when it comes to all the sales tax they’ve paid since Measure H passed in 2017. The county’s unhoused population has increased 37% since then.

Opponents argue doubling the sales tax now would hurt Angelenos already struggling to keep up with inflation, and wouldn’t guarantee reductions in homelessness.

Potential financial impact

According to the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office, the sales tax increase imposed by Measure A would raise “approximately $1,076,076,350 annually until voters decide to end it.”

Follow the money

Further reading

• LA residents are furious over homelessness. Are they fed up enough to tax themselves all over again? [LAist]
• Everything you need to know about Measure H [LAist]

Listen in: Measure A on AirTalk

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This voter guide originally published Aug. 28.