Funding for women’s homeless services
How do services for ending women’s homelessness get funded in Los Angeles? The short answer is that it’s a long and complex one…
In 2016 and 2017, Los Angeles voters resoundingly approved two important funding sources to combat homelessness in the region, proving their commitment to finding a long-term solution. DWC played a key role in the passage of these historic measures. They include:
Proposition HHH | |
|---|---|
OUTCOME | Passed in November 2016 with 76% voter approval |
JURISDICTION | City of Los Angeles |
WHAT IS IT? | A $1.2 billion bond to build 10,000 units of permanent supportive housing over 10 years |
WHAT DOES IT FUND? | The development of physical buildings |
WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE? | Check out the Mayor's Tracking HHH page |
MEASURE H | |
|---|---|
OUTCOME | Passed in March 2017 with 69% voter approval |
JURISDICTION | Los Angeles County |
WHAT IS IT? | A quarter-cent sales tax that will invest $355 million over 10 years into homeless services |
WHAT DOES IT FUND? | Supportive services for people experiencing homelessness |
WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE? | Check out the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative and their Impact Dashboard |
Although Prop HHH and Measure H provide crucial funding for housing and homeless services across Los Angeles, they cannot end homelessness on their own.
Homelessness is a crisis several decades in the making; for many years, Los Angeles provided a series of short-term fixes (e.g., increased shelter space and increased temporary housing without services) instead of investing in long-term solutions like permanent housing. Although Los Angeles took another major step in 2017 by passing the Permanent Supportive Housing Ordinance to streamline the approval process and save millions in approval-related costs, it’s now up to us to advocate for more affordable housing developments in our own neighborhoods!
You can help by contacting your local City Council member, County Supervisor, and other officials to advocate for the development of affordable housing and permanent supportive housing in your community, and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same.
In the meantime, DWC will continue to advocate at the City-level for the rapid development and construction of affordable, permanent supportive housing units in new neighborhoods. We will also work to enact County policies that allow funding through Measure H to be distributed as quickly and effectively as possible, with a particular focus on programs and services that benefit women.
Prop HHH and Measure H do not include funding for many of DWC’s day-to-day operational costs or its Day Center services. We rely on community support from people like you to continue providing the programs and services that 40+ years of service have proved to be most effective in ending women’s homelessness for good.
Become an agent of change by donating today!