County supervisors called for voters to consider a parcel, sales or marijuana tax to pay for homelessness programs in Los Angeles County, officials said.

The move came after a county poll concluded more than 69 percent of likely voters would support an annual 3 cents per square foot parcel to generate funding to support an end to homelessness.

Voters called for preventative and emergency support services, such as job training, rental subsidies and addiction treatment, which are a few of the services locally offered by Bridge to Home.

The Board of Supervisors called for drafting three potential November 2016 ballot measures asking voters to consider one of three funding avenues for homelessness, which they declared a state of emergency on earlier this year.

“The quest to end homelessness has become the defining moral, civil rights and social justice issue of our time,” Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said during Tuesday’s meeting. “Now is the time for the board to identify an ongoing funding stream to put before voters in November that can finance the strategies to meaningfully prevent and reduce the number of homeless in communities across the county.”

The electorate’s growing concern about homelessness has been highlighted in more than 10 polls conducted since March by conservative and progressive pollsters, academic and philanthropic institutions, think tanks and municipal governments, according to a county news release.

The same surveys also indicate the electorate’s unprecedented willingness to increase taxes – whether through a tax on high-income earners, a parcel tax, sales tax or marijuana tax – to generate ongoing revenue to address the homelessness crisis.

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has calculated at least $450 million is needed annually to provide the County’s homeless population of 47,000 with supportive services, rental subsidies and other needs. Studies have confirmed that successfully housing the homeless and linking them with support services and employment save taxpayer dollars in avoidable health, law enforcement, property devaluation, and other costs.

“These are really scary times – every neighborhood has encampments of people living on sidewalks,” said Lisa Payne with the Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing or SCANPH. “This calamity calls out for government action. We urge you to seize the opportunity to seize a parcel tax or other funding measure on the ballot.”

Ann Sewill with the California Community Foundation said various polls showed “an outpouring of support from voters” for going to the ballot to raise money to address the homeless crisis. Addressing the Board, she said, “The pragmatic idea is we should do what wins. The visionary idea is we should do what’s right. I think you have an opportunity before you with this motion to do both.”

Chris Ko with United Way of Greater L.A. said, “Inaction is unthinkable, especially when lives are on the line.”

The Board directed Chief Executive Officer Sachi Hamai to present the draft tax initiatives on July 12. The Board could then vote to adopt one or multiple ballot measures for placement on the November 8 ballot.