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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11- NOVEMBER 17, 2024
LA County voters back sales tax for homelessness, split on board expansion
NO. 197
VOL. 12,
Report: Housing affordability improves slightly in LA city, declines in county
By Joe Taglieri
By City News Service
joet@beaconmedianews.com
| Photo by svitlanah/Envato Elements
L The LA County Board of Supervisors will have four more seats on the dais if Measure G passes. | Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors/YouTube
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os Angeles County voters turned out in favor of raising the sales tax a half-cent to fund homelessness programs but were divided on expanding the Board of Supervisors and other government restructuring, according to election results released Wednesday afternoon. Supporters of Measure A, which extended and raised a sales tax for anti-homelessness programs, declared victory Wednesday as votecounting continued. According to the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s Office, Measure A passed with 55.8% and nearly 300,000 more yes than no votes. More than 1.1 million ballots from Tuesday’s election still need to be counted — roughly 1 million vote-by-mail ballots, 104,000 conditional voter registration ballots and 12,100 provisional ballots. The county will also accept vote-by-mail ballots for a
week if they have a postmark no later than Nov. 5. Despite the still-to-becounted votes, the Yes on Measure A campaign declared victory Wednesday afternoon. “The passage of Measure A demonstrates the power of what can be accomplished when working families join with over 150 community organizations, homeless services providers, housing advocates, local and elected officials to find solutions to the issues facing our communities,” Yvonne Wheeler, president of the LA Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing to work together to bring about the change voters want and our county needs.” David Green, president of the Service Employees International Union Local 721, said the measure’s passage was a “historic vote” for LA county. “Voters are clear that
they want bold solutions to addressing our county’s most pressing issue,” Green said in a statement. “Measure A gives us the tools to do just that. Because of the investment voters are willing to make, we’ll be able to implement and expand proven solutions to reduce homelessness while making Los Angeles County more affordable.” The coalition of supporters who led the initiative drive that got the measure on the ballot included more than 80 organizations, including the L.A. County Federation of Labor, California Community Foundation, United Way of Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles/ Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council, SEIU 721, among others. Proponents ,which included more than 80 labor and charitable organizations, said they aim
to dedicate more funding generated from the halfcent sales tax to add more affordable housing, increase access to treatment for mental health disorders and drug addiction and enhance accountability measures via a legal requirement to deliver results. According to Measure A, 60% of the sales tax revenue will fund homelessness services with 15% of that distributed to cities based on the annual count of county residents experiencing homelessness. Another 35.75% of the revenue will fund the county’s Affordable Housing Solutions Agency, established last year under state law to oversee efforts to reduce homelessness. The ballot measure’s opponents argued it would create an endless tax burden on residents with no guarSee Measures Page 27
os Angeles city homebuyers got some good news in the third quarter of 2024 with housing affordability improving slightly from the previous quarter, while fewer county house purchasers could afford a home in the same quarter, the California Association of Realtors announced Thursday. Eleven percent of LA County households could afford to buy the $947,480 median-priced home in the third quarter of the year, down from 13% in the second quarter of 2024, and mirroring the 11% in third-quarter 2023, according to the association. A minimum annual income of $237,600 was needed to make monthly payments of $5,940, including principal, interest and taxes on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at a 6.63% interest rate, the report said. In the LA metro area, 15% of households could afford to buy the $827,000 median-priced home in the third quarter of 2024, up from 14% in the third quarter of 2023 and up from 13% in the second quarter of this year. A minimum qualifying income of $207,600 was needed to make monthly payments of $5,190. In Orange County — considered by CAR one of the least-affordable counties in
California — 12% of households could afford to buy the $1.39 million median-priced home in the third quarter of the year, up from 11% in the last quarter of 2023, and the same percentage as secondquarter 2024, according to the association. A minimum annual income of $350,800 was needed to make monthly payments of $8,770, including principal, interest and taxes on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at a 6.63% interest rate, the report said. Sixteen percent of California households could afford to purchase the $880,250 statewide median-priced home in the third quarter of 2024, up from 14% in secondquarter 2024 and up from 15% in third-quarter 2023, CAR said. A minimum annual income of $220,800 was needed to make monthly payments of $5,520, including principal, interest and taxes on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at a 6.63% interest rate, the report said. Also statewide, 25% of home buyers were able to purchase the $670,000 median-priced condo or townhome. A minimum annual income of $168,000 was required to make a monthly payment of $4,200, according to the association.