A large group of union members and organizations from across Sothern California were outside the L.A. County Registrar's office Tuesday to drop off a truckload of signatures calling for the Affordable Housing Homelessness Solutions and Prevention Now Initiative to be on the November ballot.
As KNX News' Karen Adams reports, the group delivered more than 400,000 signatures; only needing 239,000 valid ones to get on the ballot.
During the rally Elise Buik with the United Way of Greater L.A. said that the initiative will provide a clearer understanding of "How we can keep the affordable housing that we have that is at risk of disappearing as neighborhoods gentrify," and it will help build new affordable housing that many L.A. communities desperately need.
The L.A. County Federation of Labors' Yvonne Wheeler said the "multi-pronged holistic approach" would address homelessness by building affordable housing in all 88 cities in the county while ensuring those hired to build the structures are paid a 'living wage.'
According to an outline of the initiative, "The purpose of this citizens initiative is to use goals-based accountability to fund L.A. County’s comprehensive homelessness response system as well as invest in new strategies to address street encampments, prevent homelessness and create affordable housing. This measure would terminate and replace the existing ¼ cent sales tax that currently funds the homelessness response system and expires in 2027 with a ½ cent countywide sales tax."
The coalition says it's first of its kind citizen-led initiative would also increase access to mental health and substance abuse treatment.
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, was inspired by the groups effort, saying, "It is just incredible that all of these community groups came together to collect more than 400,000 signatures. The first citizen driven initiative in L.A. County history to take on the biggest challenge facing all of our communities -- homelessness."
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