Proposition 1 seeks to support mental health crises in cities all over the state, including Los Angeles

On March 5, California voters will vote on Proposition 1, a ballot measure that would advance the state's spending on building treatment facilities and housing for people with mental illness and substance use disorders, especially for those who are homeless. 

If passed, the measure championed by state and city leaders like Governor Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis would mark the first major revision of the state’s community mental health system in 20 years.

"We're reforming the Mental Health Services Act of 2004 to reconcile the fact that in 2004, it never envisioned housing. And it never envisioned substance abuse as an eligible use for the Mental Health Services Act money," Newsom said in a January 3 press conference at the Los Angeles General Medical Center in Lincoln Heights.

The measure, dubbed "Treatment, not Tents," calls for a $6.38 billion bond to build 11,150 new treatment beds and supportive housing, create 26,700 outpatient treatment slots, and set aside $1 billion for veteran housing along with recruiting and training 65,000 mental health workers.

The mental health services that the proposition aims to fund include outpatient treatment, crisis response, early intervention, prevention and outreach, and treatment for people with substance use disorders, as well as housing and personalized support services like employment assistance and education.

Bass said this proposition would also be a step in the right direction for the homeless population of LA, which has increased over the last few years. According to the 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count results, there was a 9% rise in homelessness on any night in Los Angeles County to an estimated 75,518 people and a 10% rise in the City of Los Angeles to an estimated 46,260 people. “People are willing to come off the street, but you have to address why they are unhoused, to begin with,” she said at the Lincoln Heights press conference. 

The proposition would only be possible because of the multi-billion-dollar bond, which, if approved, would fall under the state's duty to repay. According to the California Budget and Policy Center, the Golden State would spend roughly 2.5% of the state budget on repaying various bond obligations approved in previous ballot measures. For Proposition 1, it is estimated that California would be in a 30-year debt, resulting in projected payments of roughly $310 million per year. 

Proposition 1 would also help the incarcerated population of cities across the state. According to the Vera Institute of Justice, Los Angeles County jails provide horrendous standards of mental health care despite being the largest provider of mental health care in the United States, with 42 percent of people currently detained there diagnosed with mental health conditions. 

California currently spends over $100,000 per person to incarcerate 150,000 people who are mentally ill, making this costly and counterproductive, according to the "Treatment, not Tents” official fact sheet.  

“Addressing the mental health and homelessness crisis is one of the most important issues in Los Angeles County and throughout California,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. “Currently, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department operates a jail system that has become the largest mental health institution in the nation, and it shouldn’t be this way. We need to invest in proactive options for mental health, addiction, homelessness, and alternatives to incarceration.”