This opinion editorial was written by Grecia Lopez-Reyes, the Campaign Director of Long Beach for a Just Economy, which builds strategic community, labor, and faith-based partnerships to address growing inequality and poverty in Long Beach. This article was also written by Andre Donado, the Project Director of Long Beach Residents Empowered (LiBRE), which advances justice in disadvantaged communities through the creation and preservation of affordable housing, renter protections, and community economic development.
It is no secret that we are living through an ongoing homelessness crisis. Despite progress in recent years, over 3,300 of our neighbors here in Long Beach are still experiencing homelessness, according to the latest point-in-time count data, and over 50,000 people across Los Angeles County are at risk of losing housing and other crucial services due to the looming expiration of Measure H funding. And that’s not to mention the thousands of working families across our region who are exactly one missed paycheck away from losing housing.
But there is hope, and progress, on our November ballots. A “YES” vote on Measure A will keep us moving in the right direction by extending and expanding critical funding (including for the abovementioned 50,000-plus people at risk of losing support) for homeless services and affordable housing. This measure, borne of a citizens’ initiative and supported by over 150 progressive organizations and labor groups, builds upon prior legislation to create more housing we can afford, more access to mental health care, and more accountability in implementation. It also contains regular audits and citizen oversight to ensure funding goes where it is most effective.
We all know relief like this can’t come soon enough. As the leaders of community organizations in Long Beach, we have heard countless stories of hardworking families just barely scraping by. In concert, their accounts form an all-too-familiar theme—that there is an entire workforce living on a knife-edge, praying for a financial foothold while their labor forms the backbone of our local economy.
Jose Martinez was evicted from his Long Beach home this past July. Struggling with a chronic illness, he eventually lost his job and fell behind on rent payments.
When he was evicted, Jose sought emergency shelter locally, only to find that options were either at capacity or slow to return his calls. He ended up spending a month in a shelter on Skid Row, where he contracted COVID-19. Jose is now staying at a post-hospital care facility in Van Nuys. His job search continues, but without a permanent home to list on the address line of job applications, which many employers require, the process is even more challenging.
“I think I am now an expert in homelessness,” Jose told LiBRE staff. “I’ve seen things I never imagined existed.”
For people like Jose who are experiencing homelessness, the barriers to employment are significant. Homelessness leads to gaps in employment history and exacerbates health issues—both physical and mental—making it harder to focus on finding a job. This cycle of instability severely limits the ability of unhoused people to secure and maintain employment.
Many residents similar to Jose become homeless after a first-time eviction. This is why it’s crucial to break these cycles by providing affordable housing and the protections necessary to keep people housed. By doing so, we can prevent homelessness before it starts.
What’s more, funding for this measure is incredibly straightforward. It will come from a sales tax of 0.5% on discretionary spending throughout the county. The tax will exclude essential items like groceries, rent, medications, diapers, EBT purchases, and more. For example, the tax on a $100 jacket would be only 25 cents. Estimates show that the average household in Long Beach will pay only $5 a month more in order to fund these lifesaving programs.
In the face of the continuing homelessness crisis, and the expiration of existing funding for housing and services, voters have an opportunity to be part of the solution. On Nov. 5th, join us and vote “YES” on Measure A to help families stay in their homes and ensure Long Beach remains a place where everyone has a chance to thrive.
