In an election driven by concerns over rising consumer costs, voters in Los Angeles County did something remarkable — they chose to pay more for everyday goods.
At last count, more than 57% of L.A. voters supported Measure A. It will levy a sales tax of half a cent for every dollar spent in order to pay for ongoing local homeless services and new affordable housing efforts.
The tax is projected to raise about $1.1 billion dollars a year. Most of the funding will go toward the kinds of homeless services already funded by Measure H, an existing quarter-cent tax voters approved in 2017.
More than a third of Measure A funding (35.75% to be exact) will be funneled into a new entity called the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency, or LACAHSA (pronounced like the Spanish word for home, “la casa”).
LACAHSA board chair Rex Richardson, who is also the mayor of Long Beach, said Measure H was focused primarily on getting people off the street.
“The question now is, where do people go after they go into a shelter?” Richardson said. “This, finally, is a tool that answers that question.”
LACAHSA’s mandate will be to create new affordable homes, preserve L.A.’s existing lower-rent housing and prevent people from losing the housing they already have. LAist sat down with Richardson and LACAHSA’s interim CEO Ryan Johnson to talk about their plans for turning Measure A money into new affordable housing.
Another ingredient in L.A.’s alphabet soup?
LACAHSA is the new kid on the block, joining other agencies long tasked with addressing the region’s homelessness crisis. Funding for shelters and services is already coordinated…
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