L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger Rallies Local Leaders and Organizations to Vote Yes on Measure H

A diverse group of elected officials, faith-based leaders and homeless service providers from throughout San Gabriel Valley – led by L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger – joined together at Union Station Homeless Services for a rally Friday in support of Measure H which is the the critical March 7 vote that aims to tackle the growing homelessness challenges in L.A. County.

“We live in a society where we have to do better. We need to do a better job in reaching out to the mentally ill, looking at the laws that are on the books, addressing the fact that we have a problem and give these people not a hand out, but a hand up and that’s what Measure H will do. It will empower the cities and allow the county to work with them to provide services,” said 5th District L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger.

Measure H will help people across L.A. County, including women and children, veterans, and those with mental illness, get the help they need and break the cycle of poverty, according to a press release.

“The whole purpose of the meeting today was to get people to realize that this Measure H that’s coming for the ballot on March 7–it’s going to be life changing. It can basically affect thousands and thousands of lives, both the folks who are currently homeless and thirty thousand folks that will be homeless over the next five years,” said Union Station Homeless Services CEO John Brauer.

The measure is projected to additionally end homelessness for 45,000 families and individuals within five years and prevent homelessness for 30,000 families and individuals over the same period.

“Government alone cannot do this. We’re going to have to work with the faith-based and the private non profits,” said Barger.

Measure H was recently endorsed by the City of Pasadena as as well as other San Gabriel Valley cities that include Duarte, El Monte, La Puente and Pomona.

The City’s Legislative Policy Committee said Measure H “has the potential to provide funding for supportive services for homeless individuals/families in Los Angeles County, including the City of Pasadena, and supports and promotes the quality of life and the local economy.”

“Support for this ballot measure is in accordance with the Pasadena Continuum of Care system, General Plan Housing Element, Five-Year Consolidated Plan, and Five-Year Public Housing Authority Plan,” the report said.

Measure H intends to levy a special one-fourth cent countywide sales tax for 10 years, in order to generate ongoing revenue that can be used to prevent and combat homelessness and fund the County’s Homeless Initiative Plan.

“This is our chance. It’s a time in our world where we can actually make a difference and end homelessness. We’ve seen it drop dramatically in Pasadena, but that’s not enough. Now we have to to really say we’re going to end homelessness and with this money, it’s going to provide services so we can do just that

This funding from Measure H amounts to approximately $355 million per year county-wide.

According to the 2016 homeless count by Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, 2,612 people were experiencing homelessness in the San Gabriel Valley (1,662 unsheltered and 950 sheltered).

“It’s about coordinating across the board–not just government, but everybody in L.A. County and Measure H will give us the resources to do that,” said Barger.