Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council Regular Meeting of February 14, 2017
Title
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF MEASURE H -
THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY PLAN TO
PREVENT AND COMBAT HOMELESSNESS
(Assistant to the City Manager Nico De Anda-Scaia)
Body
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt Resolution No. ______ “A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ENDORSING LOS ANGELES COUNTY MEASURE H - A BALLOT MEASURE TO PREVENT AND COMBAT HOMELESSNESS THAT WILL BE SUBMITTED TO LOS ANGELES COUNTY VOTERS AT THE MARCH 7, 2017 COUNTY ELECTION”.
2. Direct staff to send copies of the adopted resolution to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) Board of Directors, League of California Cities, and others as deemed appropriate.
Body
Background:
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (Board), recognizing that homelessness has grown to emergency levels in Los Angeles County, has taken important steps toward addressing this issue throughout our region.
On February 9, 2016 the Board unanimously approved the LA County Homeless Initiative’s Strategies to Combat Homelessness (accessible online at <http://homeless.lacounty.gov/>). This landmark plan was developed through a robust and inclusive planning process involving more than 100 community groups, 30 cities and County experts in 18 policy summits, and is the most comprehensive homelessness effort ever undertaken by the County. The plan includes 47 strategies aimed at combating the root causes of homelessness in the County, along with measures to lift thousands of families and individuals out of homelessness in the shorter-term.
The comprehensive plan comes at a time when the homeless crisis in Los Angeles County has been worsening and now more than ever demands an urgent, coordinated response from state, county, city and community partners. In polls conducted by Los Angeles County, homelessness has consistently ranked as a top-tier issue for County residents.
The Board approved an initial $100 million for fiscal year 2016-17 to begin implementation of the strategies in the Homeless Services Initiative referenced above, with an emphasis on those strategies that have the potential of creating the most immediate impact. This funding is on top of the nearly $1 billion a year that County officials estimated they currently spend on health, welfare and law enforcement-related services involving the homeless.
The County estimates that an additional $450 million in ongoing funding is needed in order to implement all of the County’s strategies, and to address the current gap in homeless housing subsidies and services (excluding costs associated with housing construction).
Analysis:
Measure ‘H’
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, at its meeting of December 6, 2016 approved a motion by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas to place a ballot initiative (now known as Measure H) before voters on March 7, 2017. If approved by two-thirds of County voters, it is estimated that Measure H would generate approximately $355 million annually through a ¼-cent sales tax for a term of ten years. Coupled with the recently passed Los Angeles City Measure HHH which will build additional housing, Measure H funds will be used to support a network of services and facilities throughout the County that will directly benefit children, foster youth, seniors, battered women, disabled individuals, veterans and other homeless persons. Furthermore, it is estimated that Measure H will help 45,000 people experiencing homelessness to obtain permanent stable housing, and another 30,000 people avoid becoming chronically homeless. In the County’s polling conducted in late 2016, the measure received 68% support from likely voters. The cost to the average consumer is estimated to be about $1 per month.
The measure also provides for the establishment of a Citizens Advisory committee to ensure that the funding is effectively spent, with specific performance standards for each strategy funded and an independent yearly evaluation by an outside expert. The County will begin receiving funding in July 2017.
The City of Hermosa Beach recognizes that homelessness is a regional issue of growing importance, and has therefore committed to playing an important role on this issue through its Homeless Action Plan and local strategies, active participation and leadership in the County’s annual Homeless Count, and involvement during the development process of the County’s Homeless Services Initiative and Strategic Planning process.
The proposed resolution reiterates the City’s commitment to providing necessary services to our community’s homeless and participating in regional efforts to address and combat homelessness countywide.
Election Details
The County will mail the official sample ballot booklet to each registered voter between January 26 and February 14, and will begin mailing vote-by-mail ballots on February 6. The last day to register to vote in this election is Tuesday, February 21. The City will have designated polling places (as usual) for those who prefer voting in person (polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.). The City Clerk’s Office will also be serving as a “vote-by-mail ballot drop-off location” during regular office hours (Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.) starting Monday, February 6, through Monday, March 6, 2017.
Fiscal Implications:
There is no fiscal impact to adopt the resolution, nor for the local conduct of this County election.
Attachments:
1. Resolution No.____ “A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ENDORSING LOS ANGELES COUNTY MEASURE H - A BALLOT MEASURE TO PREVENT AND COMBAT HOMELESSNESS THAT WILL BE SUBMITTED TO LOS ANGELES COUNTY VOTERS AT THE MARCH 7, 2017 COUNTY ELECTION”.
2. Measure H Ballot Language
3. Measure H Fact Sheet
4. Measure H PowerPoint/Informational Materials
Respectfully Submitted by: Nico De Anda-Scaia, Assistant to the City Manager
Approved: John Jalili, Interim City Manager