With homelessness rising across Los Angeles, residents want to help but often feel overwhelmed by the scale of the problem. Prop HHH on the November ballot offers a critical piece of the solution.
The proposition -- "Housing and Hope to End Homelessness" -- would allow the city to finance 10,000 units of Permanent Supportive Housing needed to house all the city's chronically homeless residents, including women and children, veterans, seniors, foster youth, and individuals with disabilities.
Permanent supportive housing has an extraordinary record. Focused on helping individuals who cycle in and out of a variety of crisis services -- including shelters, hospital emergency rooms, prisons and psychiatric centers -- permanent supportive housing is a proven, cost-effective solution to chronic homelessness. It builds safe housing with on-site supportive services -- like mental health and substance abuse counseling -- that break the cycle of homelessness.
Studies have shown that this strategy not only reduces homelessness, but it increases the health of the participants and decreases costs for publicly-funded services. Local success rates exceed 90 percent. Crucially, housing homeless men, women and children is 43 percent less expensive than abandoning them on the street -- and infinitely more humane.
Proposition HHH is the most significant effort ever undertaken to end chronic homelessness in Los Angeles. It would raise $1.2 billion dollars to finance the construction of permanent supportive housing over the next 10 years, and could expect to leverage three times its value from other sources of funds. Indeed, this proposal is built on the progress already made by a broad coalition including the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and more than 200 organizations.
Housing homeless men, women and children is 43 percent less expensive than abandoning them on the street -- and infinitely more humane.
Proposition HHH would triple the pace at which Los Angeles currently builds housing. In addition to permanent supportive housing, Prop. HHH provides funding to construct facilities that provide emergency relief for those experiencing homelessness and affordable housing for those at risk of becoming homeless. It will provide for new temporary shelters, storage and shower facilities.
Repaying the bond would add approximately $33 per year to the average Los Angeles property tax bill, or $9.64 per $100,000 assessed value. So, yes, there is a modest cost to the proposal -- but the return on taxpayer investment would be tremendous. This would dramatically reduce homelessness, address city public health and safety concerns, stabilize individuals, and increase badly needed affordable housing.
Angelenos are rightfully concerned about the rise in homelessness across the area. There are proven solutions to ending homelessness, and creating permanent supportive housing is one of them. Angelenos would be wise to adopt this cutting edge strategy to house and support those who are struggling and living on the streets as a last resort. It is a win for the city, a win for the county, a win for the individuals experiencing homelessness, and a win for taxpayers.