November 7, 2023
Tommy Newman
Vice President, Public Affairs
United Way of Greater Los Angeles
1150 S. Olive Street, Suite T500
Los Angeles, CA 90015
RE: Proposed Revenue Measure - Local Solution Fund Allocations Dear Mr. Newman:
The City of Redondo Beach understands that the United Way of Greater Los Angeles has been working on a draft proposal to revise Measure H. Redondo Beach appreciates the efforts United Way has made to address the homelessness and affordable crisis within Los Angeles County. However, there is an overwhelming feeling of inequity in the distribution of Measure H funds to local cities.
We support ongoing city funding for effective solutions to reduce homelessness within our cities, which continues to grow annually, despite the current Measure H funding measure.
Last fiscal year, Redondo Beach received $54,305 for the Homeless Incentive Program and a one-time $250,000 grant for capital improvements of our Tiny Homes Pallet Shelter in Measure H funds. However, Redondo’s Enhanced Response to Homelessness requires far more grant funding than what was received in Measure H dollars. The annual budget for our shelter operations is nearly a million dollars and is funded by outside grants. The City of Redondo Beach also received over another million dollars of non-Measure H grants for our Homeless Court, additional bridge housing, Housing Navigators, and other contracts for various service providers. In addition, the City employs a Homeless Housing Navigator, using our general funds, and spends countless hours of staff time across all departments addressing homelessness.
Given these massive City investments, we are deeply concerned about a recent draft proposal for a revised Measure H that fails to provide fair, adequate and sustainable homelessness funding for all cities throughout the county. Cities have already suffered from the inequitable local return provided by the current measure H; the exorbitant costs of cities’ supplemental homelessness funding are not financially sustainable for our cities.
Redondo Beach strongly recommends that the new draft ordinance distributes Measure H funds to local cities on either a per capita or competitive basis. We recognize the urgency to secure a long-term funding source for this shared crisis, however, we encourage United Way and all other stakeholders to reach out to our cities as partners to help create effective, long-term solutions to this crisis. Through our collective, collaborative efforts, we can navigate around potential obstacles that would otherwise threaten the success of our shared goal in addressing homelessness within all of our communities within Los Angeles County.
Sincerely,
William C. Brand
Mayor
City of Redondo Beach
cc: Holly Mitchell, Supervisor, Second District