Over 300 people, including our SOH young adult advocates attended the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor’s meeting last week to advocate for a permanent source of funding to combat homelessness in Los Angeles County. There were three proposals up for consideration: parcel , sales, and marijuana tax.
SOH advocates were in major support of a sales tax that would raise an estimated $355 million a year and could be implemented in a short period of time. They also asked the Board to consider all possible options.
Our young adults did a great job providing testimony about their personal homeless experience as well as their friends and the n
eed for more resources that can trickle down to young people who are often forgotten in discussions about homelessness.
Our Executive Director, Janet Denise Kelly, provided a passionate request for the Supervisors to consider all options and move swiftly because homelessness is a scourge that no adult, child, or young adult should ever endure.
The parcel and sales tax did not pass. Instead, the board voted to support a marijuana tax ballot measure in November that was subsequently rescinded.
We are hopeful that a sales tax will be back for discussion before March 2017 for the spring ballot.
