Los Angeles County Measure H

Los Angeles County Measure H was a March 3, 2015 countywide ballot measure in Los Angeles County, California proposing a parcel tax to fund services addressing homelessness. The measure sought to create a revenue stream administered by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and directed toward nonprofit providers, municipal partners, and county departments. Supporters framed the proposal as a supplement to existing initiatives such as Measure HHH (2016), while opponents raised concerns similar to debates surrounding Proposition 13 and tax policy in California.

Background and Ballot Placement

In the years preceding the measure, Los Angeles experienced rising homelessness amid housing debates involving California Legislature, California Department of Housing and Community Development, and city-level actors like the Los Angeles City Council. High-profile events and reports—cited by entities such as the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs—focused attention on encampments in neighborhoods including Skid Row, Los Angeles, Hollywood, and Van Nuys. County officials led by Supervisors such as Michael D. Antonovich and Don Knabe faced pressure to respond, intersecting with statewide measures like Proposition 47 (2014) that reshaped criminal justice funding. Legal and administrative steps to certify ballot placement involved the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk and procedural rules influenced by precedents set in California ballot proposition law.

Proposal and Provisions

Measure H proposed a parcel tax assessed per parcel in the county, modeled in part on prior local measures such as municipal parcel levies used in San Francisco and Santa Monica. The ordinance specified allocations to county-operated programs including Department of Health Services (Los Angeles County) initiatives, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health programs, and contracts with nonprofits like United Way of Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles Mission, and Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission. Eligible services enumerated included emergency shelter, rapid re-housing, supportive housing linked to Section 8 vouchers administered by the Housing Authority of Los Angeles County, mental health outreach tied to Community Mental Health Services Block Grant, and job-placement assistance coordinated with Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation. Oversight provisions referenced independent audits and reporting to the Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller and program reviews akin to frameworks used by the Homeless Services Authority (Los Angeles).

Campaign and Funding

The campaign saw coalitions of elected officials, philanthropic organizations, and advocacy groups aligning with supporters such as Mayors of Los Angeles County, leaders from United Way, and homelessness advocates connected to Coalition for Economic Survival and Inner City Law Center. Major donors included foundations with histories of local giving like the Weingart Foundation and national funders similarly active in urban policy. Opposing voices emerged from taxpayer associations invoking precedents from Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and fiscal watchdogs referencing debates around local taxation in California. Media coverage came from outlets including the Los Angeles Times, KCBS-TV, and the Los Angeles Daily News, while endorsements and op-eds featured public figures such as Eric Garcetti and county supervisors. Campaign finance filings were submitted to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, with expenditures tracked by organizations like MapLight and legal challenges referenced to courts including the California Superior Court when procedural disputes arose.

Election Results and Implementation

Measure H appeared on the March 3, 2015 ballot alongside other municipal contests and was certified by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk after canvassing. Voter turnout patterns reflected broader participation trends seen in primary and municipal elections analyzed by the California Secretary of State. Upon passage, implementation required contracting processes overseen by the Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office and coordination with entities such as the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and county departments. Implementation milestones referenced procurement rules from the Los Angeles County Code and reporting obligations to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, with audits performed by the Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller.

Impact and Evaluations

Post-implementation evaluations considered metrics used by research institutions including RAND Corporation, Urban Institute, and UCLA. Analyses compared outcomes—shelter bed counts, permanent supportive housing placements, and recidivism rates—with benchmarks from programs in San Diego County, San Francisco County, and national models endorsed by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. Independent evaluators and think tanks cited data from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and county dashboards to assess efficacy, while advocates referenced longitudinal studies from the California Policy Lab and philanthropic evaluations by the Annenberg Foundation. Debates over cost-effectiveness echoed litigation and policy discussions involving Proposition 13-related fiscal constraints and federal funding streams such as HUD Continuum of Care. Overall assessments weighed reductions in visible homelessness in areas like Skid Row, Los Angeles against concerns about long-term affordability tied to regional housing markets influenced by entities like California Housing Finance Agency and municipal zoning decisions by the Los Angeles City Planning Commission.

Category:Los Angeles County elections Category:Homelessness in California