Measure HHH

Measure HHH Measure HHH was a 2016 Los Angeles ballot proposition authorizing $1.2 billion in general obligation bonds to fund construction of permanent supportive housing and related services for people experiencing homelessness in the City of Los Angeles. The measure was placed on the ballot after debates among the Los Angeles City Council, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and advocacy organizations including the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, with endorsements and opposition from a range of civic groups and political figures. Passage of the measure committed municipal borrowing overseen by the Los Angeles Department of Housing and Community Investment, with subsequent implementation involving agencies such as the Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department and nonprofit developers.

Background and ballot measure

The initiative emerged amid rising visibility of homelessness in Los Angeles County, media coverage by outlets such as the Los Angeles Times and KCET, and policy debates involving the Los Angeles City Council, the Mayor of Los Angeles office under Eric Garcetti, and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. Stakeholders included the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, the Skid Row Housing Trust, and legal actors like the ACLU and the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. The measure followed earlier municipal and state efforts including Proposition 63 (2004), regional coordination with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and court decisions such as Martin v. City of Boise that influenced strategies toward encampment clearance and housing-first approaches. The Los Angeles City Clerk placed the measure on the November 2016 ballot after hearings involving the City Controller, the City Attorney of Los Angeles, and budget analyses from the California Legislative Analyst's Office.

Provisions and funding structure

Measure HHH authorized $1.2 billion in general obligation bonds payable from Los Angeles property tax revenues, specifying eligible uses for the development of permanent supportive housing and related capital projects. The bond language outlined priorities including rental assistance, acquisition and construction by nonprofit developers like Mercy Housing, supportive services coordination with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, and accessibility improvements consistent with Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 standards. Fiscal oversight was structured through reporting requirements to the Los Angeles City Controller and involvement of entities such as the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles and private lenders including the Low Income Investment Fund. Debt service obligations affected municipal budgets and were analyzed in relation to California statutes governing California Constitution general obligation debt limits and the County Assessor’s property tax rolls.

Implementation and projects funded

Implementation was carried out by the Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department, partnering with developers including the Skid Row Housing Trust, HELMAH Partners, and national nonprofit groups such as Habitat for Humanity Los Angeles affiliates. Projects funded included cluster-site developments in neighborhoods across Los Angeles such as Skid Row, Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, Hollywood, Los Angeles, and Van Nuys, providing units with on-site case management coordinated with Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Capital funding supported permanent supportive housing projects like mixed-use developments combining affordable housing and services, leveraging additional financing from the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, philanthropic partners like the Weingart Foundation, and private equity from Community Development Financial Institutions such as Enterprise Community Partners. Construction oversight engaged the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety and local labor organizations including the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.

Support and opposition

Supporters included elected officials such as Eric Garcetti, members of the Los Angeles City Council who caucused for the measure, advocacy groups like the Los Angeles Coalition to End Youth Homelessness, service providers including the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, and business leaders from entities like the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Endorsements also came from statewide figures linked to homelessness policy, including officials from the California State Assembly and California State Senate. Opponents raised concerns about fiscal impacts cited by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and questioned whether bond funding would address root causes highlighted by scholars at institutions such as UCLA and USC. Civil liberties groups including local chapters of the ACLU and neighborhood coalitions criticized implementation practices around encampment clearances tied to housing placement timelines. Litigation and public testimony involved entities like the Los Angeles Superior Court and community organizations across neighborhoods including Echo Park and Venice, Los Angeles.

Outcomes and evaluations

Post-passage evaluations by the Los Angeles City Controller and independent researchers at universities such as UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and think tanks including the RAND Corporation examined unit production, per-unit costs, timelines, and coordination with county services. Reports documented that Measure HHH financed thousands of units but faced challenges with rising construction costs, site acquisition delays, and the need for operating subsidies often sourced from the Permanent Supportive Housing Program and county budget allocations. Outcome metrics compared Los Angeles’s progress with national efforts in cities like San Francisco, Seattle, and New York City, and referenced federal funding streams administered by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Evaluations underscored lessons about hybrid financing models, partnerships with nonprofit developers, and the role of municipal bonds in addressing homelessness within broader regional planning led by entities such as the Southern California Association of Governments.

Category:Los Angeles ballot measures