Propelled By Mayor/Council-Signaled Support, These Groups Will Meet To Organize Support Strategy For LB Debt-Bond Tax-Increase 2020 Ballot Measure (Affordable/Subsidized/Low Income Housing)

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(April 15, 2019, 7:45 a.m.) -- The following groups have scheduled an April 25 event (indicating "sold out," presumably meaning available spaces are now filled) to organize support for a Long Beach debt-bond tax increase ballot measure for "affordable" (subsidized/low income) housing.

As listed in an on-line invitation, organizers described the event as a "special workshop/forum that will bring together advocates, developers, city staff and electeds, and regional experts to discuss the policy content and political strategies necessary to pass a meaningful affordable housing bond in 2020."

The listed participants are Housing Long Beach, Long Beach Forward, the Southern California association of Nonprofit Housing (SCANPH) and United Way of Greater Los Angeles. An online description says "Attendees will develop a shared understanding of an affordable housing bond measure as a real solution to address Long Beach's pressing need for locally-generated affordable housing funding."

The invitation describes the event's agenda as:

Introductory Remarks: Councilmember Rex Richardson, District 9
Affordable Housing Needs: Josh Butler, Housing Long Beach
Keys to Passing an Affordable Housing Bond: Alan Greenlee, Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing (SCANPH)
Lessons Learned from Los Angeles Measure HHH: Tommy Newman, United Way of Greater Los Angeles
Small Group Breakouts

The invitation doesn't mention collecting initiative petition signatures, likely because Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia and at least four incumbent Councilmembers (led by Richardson) previously signaled their willingness to pursue a ballot measure for what they called an "independent revenue source" for affordable housing and/or homeless services ("Amnesia File" below.)

In addition, LB Council incumbents have voted without dissent in recent months to operate a not-yet-built North Long Beach homeless facility and spend one to two million dollars annually for seismic work to let a private firm operate a smaller version of Community Hospital for its profit on city-owned land for a dollar a year. Neither of these spending items have any currently budgeted sources to pay for them.

[Scroll down for further.]

Amnesia File: On July 24, 2018, Councilman Richardson (joined by Councilmembers Gonzalez, Austin and Vice Mayor Andrews) agendized an item to seek management options for consideration at the next available Council meeting -- just in time for placement on the November 2018 ballot -- an unspecified "dedicated local revenue source" for affordable housing/homeless spending. Councilman Richardson indicated he was prepared to discuss it, but his co-agendizers and others got cold feet lacking audible support at that time from Mayor Garcia (then-focused on November passage of four Charter Amendments.)

However no Councilmember(s) voiced opposition to such a "dedicated local revenue" measure at a later time (LBREPORT.com coverage here.

Sponsor

In wrapping up the July 24 Council item, Mayor Garcia explained his strategy:

As a reminder, the City doesn't, we don't tax anybody. The taxes that pass the City are voted on by the voters, and so this Council doesn't go and increase someone's tax or do a parcel tax. That is only decided by voters in the city." Mayor Garcia explained...Should this City look and work with the community a local source of to fund more affordable housing? The answer in my opinion is absolutely "yes."...[W]hen you put measures like this in front of a community, you have to bring everybody to the table. You don't pass things without some kind of community conversation that involves all the affected people that are going to be part of this type of campaign that would need to take place.

Sponsor

In June 2016, LB voters approved a City Hall-sought "blank check" sales tax increase in June 2016 after a $600,000+ campaign (run by a political committee operated by the Mayor) funded in large part by LB's police and firefighter unions and various corporate and development interests.

Sponsor

On December 11, 2018, a Mayor-chosen "Task Force" released recommendations that included identifying and implementing "one of more dedicated, sustainable revenue sources" for homeless services and affordable (low income/subsidized) housing spending. The Council didn't explicitly vote approve its recommendations (instead "received and filed" them)...but no Councilmembers voiced opposition to pursuing a debt-bond to pay for multiple millions of dollars in recommended new spending.

Developing.

Sponsor

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