Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Consent
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION 17-015 SUPPORTING LOS ANGELES COUNTY BALLOT MEASURE H - HELP END HOMELESSNESS LISTED ON THE MARCH 7, 2017 BALLOT
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I. SUMMARY
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has placed a measure on the ballot at the March 7, 2017 election providing for an increase of one-fourth of one per cent in the County sales tax, with the proceeds dedicated to fund programs and services to combat homelessness. The City Council is being requested to approve a resolution supporting passage of this ballot measure.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
TAKE the following actions:
1. WAIVE further reading and ADOPT Resolution No. 17-015, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARSON, CALIFORNIA, SUPPORTING BALLOT MEASURE H AND THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY PLAN TO PREVENT AND COMBAT HOMELESSNESS
2. DIRECT staff to transmit an executed copy of the resolution to Denny Zane, Executive Director of Move LA.
1.
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III. ALTERNATIVES
TAKE no action on the matter.
IV. BACKGROUND
In the fall of 2015, Los Angeles County commissioned a regional Homeless Initiative in an effort to create a comprehensive, coordinated plan to combat homelessness throughout the County. Homelessness is a major problem countywide and impacts the City of Carson. A significant number of the homeless are veterans and homeless families with children. There is also a significant number of “homeless” in the County that are living in vehicles, creating impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.
The Homeless Initiative held 18 policy summits between October 2015 and January 2016, bringing together frontline stakeholders from 30 city governments (including Carson), 25 Los Angeles County departments, and more than 100 community organizations. This process resulted in a plan consisting of 47 strategies, including 13 in which cities could have a role in partnering with the County to combat homelessness. A major component of the plan is to provide resources and an outreach tean to assist our sheriff deputies when responding to incidents involving homeless individuals.
The comprehensive homelessness plan was approved by the County Board of Supervisors on February 9, 2016. The City of Carson has been an active participant in the program, relying on the expertise of the South Bay Council of Governments and PATH. One of our recent successful programs was held at Dominguez Park, involving several non-profit and church groups in providing sanitation, clothes, food, housing assistance and medical services to the local homeless population. However, the City has limited funds in which to participate in the assisting the homeless.
The major obstacle to putting these strategies into action is funding. In response to the Countywide homelessness plan, the Board of Supervisors allocated approximately $100 million in one-time funding. However, the unmet need for homelessness services has been projected to be $450 million per year, not including construction and other capital costs. To address this gap, a ballot measure has been proposed for consideration at the March 7, 2017 election calling for an increase of one-fourth of one per cent in the County sales tax, with the revenues (projected to be $350 million per year over a ten-year period) to be dedicated to fund services in the areas of rental subsidies, housing development, physical and mental health care, job training, and other related supportive services.
In conjunction with the ballot measure, the County would establish a citizens’ oversight advisory board to monitor and evaluate the spending of the related tax revenue. The ballot measure also requires the establishment of an independent auditor to report on the amount of tax revenues collected, and expended and the status of projects and services funded.
V. FISCAL IMPACT
No impact to the City.
VI. EXHIBITS
1. Resolution No. 17-015. (pgs. 3-4)
2. Measure H Fact Sheet (pgs. 5-6)
3. Securing Dedicated Revenue to Combat Homelessness Across Los Angeles County (January 18, 2017 Presentation by Phil Ansell, Director of Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative) (pgs. 7-15)
Prepared by: Keith Bennett