NORTHRIDGE, CA - Hundreds of Angelinos gathered in front of the Hollywood and Vine metro station to march in support of passing measure H. Care services that work with the homeless such as Monday Night Mission and Cloud Nine planned the event. Volunteers such as Laurie Mitchell talk about their experiences with Cloud Nine.
“Our founder is also the president of our program,” says Mitchell. “She has helped volunteers get involved with the program, get into a place, we have a lot of admiring youths.”
Homeless people also attended the march. Former homeless person, Mario Navarro, currently volunteers for Monday Night Mission.
“They would provide me food, they would provide me water, but most of all they would treat me like a human being,” says Navarro. “Society needs to be aware about homelessness, its bigger than we think, it’s everywhere.”
Measure H will raise taxes by a quarter to fund services for ten years with independent annual audits and citizen's oversight. Cloud Nine volunteer, Carlos Espinoza says he became a changed man after he experienced being homeless: “I kind of was one of them also, because I was alcoholic addict,” says Espinoza. “But now I am 17 years sober and now I want to give back on what was given to me.”
Measure H was passed on March 7. The funds will be going to services such as health care and education.
About $355 million will be added for homeless programs and will provide support services for new housing such as rental subsidies and thousands more units around the county.
To read more on measure H, click here.
This video from ABC7 News covers the day county voters headed to the polls to vote on this measure along with others.
