In 2020, Alameda County voters narrowly passed Measure W, a half cent sales tax for 10 years. It was estimated to generate around $150 million a year for homelessness services.
However, over the last five years, Measure W has brought in more than $800 million. But that money has been held up in court. An anti-tax non-profit, the Alameda County Taxpayers Association, claimed that Measure W’s emphasis on homelessness qualified it as a “special tax” which would have needed a two-thirds majority approval by the public.
An Alameda county judge affirmed that the money cannot be earmarked for a specific purpose. Instead, it must go into the general fund.
Last week the Board of Supervisors tentatively agreed on how to allocate the money. Most want to prioritize homelessness prevention and response programs, but some are pushing to use the funds more broadly.
Today, the Alameda county Board of Supervisors will vote on how to allocate the funds from Measure W.
