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Measure A Facts

Everything you need to know about the new Affordable Housing, Homelessness Solutions and Prevention Now measure

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What is Measure A?

Measure A is a citizen’s initiative put on the ballot by over 400,000 LA County voters to ensure continued support for programs that work.

It would continue funding for homeless services and provide new funding for affordable housing.

Read the Full Measure

What's at stake?

49,000+
People currently receive housing, mental health care, and other services
521,000
Affordable homes are needed 
in LA County
28%
Increase in the homeless population unless something changes

What Will it Do?

The measure has three key components: Housing affordability, homelessness prevention, and government accountability. Its authors say they intend to:

Make LA more affordable for everybody

by creating much more affordable housing, providing assistance to vulnerable renters, and cutting red tape in housing production

Prevent and reduce homelessness

by expanding access to emergency housing, mental health care, and other vital services that address the root causes of homelessness

Ensure funding goes where it is the most effective

with citizen oversight and regular audits

How is it different?

The previous LA County measure did not fund affordable housing construction and did not include mandatory outcomes—both reasons for the lack of progress in addressing homelessness, critics say.

Measure A’s authors say they learned from this, which is why the measure includes mandatory outcomes, with citizen oversight and regular audits. It also invests in homelessness prevention, support for vulnerable renters, and affordable housing.

What will it cost?

The measure does not tax essentials like gas, groceries, rent, medication, diapers and so on. It will apply to discretionary spending. For example, a $100 tennis racquet would cost an additional 25 cents.

The average household would pay about $5 a month more to support more affordable housing, mental health care, and other homeless services.

Tax Exempt Items

Essential goods like the following are excluded from the tax:

Diapers
Medication
Rent
Gas
EBT Purchases
Groceries

Avg. additional projected cost for families

$2/mo
Low-income
$5/mo
Average Income
$13/mo
High income

Who is behind this website?

There’s a lot at stake in this election. We are homeless service and civil rights organizations who want to ensure voters have the information they need to align their vote with their values and vision for LA County’s future.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • On any given night in LA County, an estimated 75,312 people experience homelessness, including 52,365 without shelter and 22,947 people in shelter. That number is based on the most recent point-in-time count conducted by LAHSA and hundreds of volunteers in January 2024.

  • This measure was drafted by community experts—not politicians—and it prioritizes homeless services with a proven track record of success. It repeals and replaces the previous tax with a different approach.

    Unlike previous initiatives, this measure requires those who receive funding to hit specific goals of reducing homelessness, with strict citizen oversight and independent audits.

    This measure will not only address the needs of the existing homeless population, it will focus on root causes to prevent homelessness from happening in the first place.

    This measure isn’t just about homelessness. It will support a new regional affordable housing authority with the right tools and funding to confront the high cost of living in LA County. This long overdue independent approach will be able to cut red tape and make housing more affordable for everyone. 

  • Progress is being made: Every day for the last 7 years, more than 40 people per day have moved into permanent housing. Nearly 110,000 people in all.  Right now, more than 35,000 people are receiving services or housing that they will lose if this new measure does not pass. 

    However, at the same time we are housing people and providing supportive services to 100 people each day, 120 more people are falling into homelessness each day. 

    The annual homeless count tells us how many people leave homelessness and how many enter. According to the data, if we could stop people from becoming homeless, we could end homelessness in three years. 

    With this in mind, Measure A will increase funding for affordable housing creation, resources for vulnerable renters, mental health care, and other services intended to prevent homelessness.

  • Measure A would repeal and replace the existing ¼ cent sales tax that funds homeless services with a ½ cent sales tax for LA County. 

    The measure will not tax essentials like gas, groceries, rent, medication, and diapers. It applies only to discretionary spending. For example, a $100 necklace would cost an additional 25 cents.

    The average household would pay about $5 a month to support more affordable housing, mental health care, and other homeless services. 

    Unlike the existing sales tax it would replace, Measure A requires programs that receive funding to reach specific goals.

     

How to Vote

Election day is November 5 but voting begins when ballots are mailed out at the beginning of October.

Resources
Register to Vote Make a Plan to Vote How to Vote By Mail (Video)

Want to know more?

Read the Measure

Press Coverage

Read what local media has to say about the measure