Twenty years ago, when LAHSA – the Homeless Services Authority, a joint entity of the city and county of Los Angeles – told the homeless In our area, the relative low percentage of Latinos in this population was striking, which at the time was explained by the close family relationships in our community and because the proximity of the country of origin gave options to return.
But since then the number of homeless in general, and that of Latinos among them in particular. Here, about 30,000 Latinos are homeless at any given time—a 73% increase in five years. In the rest of the country, the increase was much smaller, below 20%. Contrary to the past, Latinos are now the group with the greatest presence among homeless Angelenos: 49% of the general population and 43% of the homeless.
The extreme poverty in which many Latin families live exacerbates this picture. There are a quarter of a million Hispanics in precarious and overcrowded conditions, especially in South Los Angeles and the city center. Their situation forces them to share these homes with others, a known and increasingly common phenomenon.
They are one step away from helplessness. Another large group suffers from insecurity: 56% of those who rent their home in the county are Latinos, and of this group, half have income so low, and the income is so high – an average of almost $2,500 per month – that they spend 30% or more of what they earn on it. It is an unsustainable situation.
Anyone who thinks that those who manage to pay these rents live like privileged people is wrong: there are plenty of rented homes without permits, in deplorable conditions. Many of them do not dare to complain. And in general, they are families of workers.
Homelessness is, according to a May survey, the problem that requires immediate action for most Angelenos.
This is what Measure A wants to address. Its full name is “Affordable Housing, Homelessness Solutions and Prevention Now” – and county citizens will be able to vote for it on November 5, to advance solutions to this acute problem. . Generated by the county Board of Supervisors, it proposes to significantly increase access to affordable, safe and better quality housing. Its characteristics demonstrate that homelessness is a process in stages and aims to alleviate the deficit in affordable housing in general.
But for the homeless it will also offer more access to mental health care and addiction treatment.
To do this, it would replace the existing Measure H, which taxes 0.25% of sales and would expire in 2027, with an increase of another 0.25%, reaching a tax of 0.5%, which will raise approximately 1.2 billion dollars each year.
Contrary to Measure H, if Measure A is approved it will not have an expiration date.
If Measure H is abandoned, the number of homeless people will grow by 28%, according to the proponents. Measure A will prevent this, and will prevent tens of thousands more of those living in precarious conditions from falling into homelessness.
Knowing the responsibility of managing these multimillion-dollar funds, Measure A requires by law that all programs achieve predetermined five-year homelessness reduction goals, and demands frequent independent audits.
Measure A has common sense, mechanisms that will ensure proper use of funds raised, and serves a goal shared by most Angelenos in the county. La Opinión supports Measure A and calls on its readers in the county to support it.
On November 5, vote yes on Measure A!
