In a nearly five and a half hour special meeting on Tuesday, Jul. 22, 2025, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors discussed proposals for allocating the $650 million dollars that have been collected since 2021 from a half-cent sales tax increase after Measure W passed.
Measure W passed in 2020 and specified that the tax should go towards essential county services, with housing and homelessness being one of the key focus areas. Now the Board is considering three scenarios, whether to spend 90%, 70%, or just 10% on the Home Together program to prevent homelessness by expanding shelter, increasing housing, and improving access and system coordination.
The rest would go in an Essential County Services Fund towards things like food security, senior services, county infrastructure, behavioral health prevention, and more.
During public comment, many urged the supervisors to adopt the 90% scenario.
The Board of Supervisors will continue the discussion next week.
