SAN DIEGO—The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Sept. 27 to declare homelessness a public health crisis, directing the county chief administrative officer to work with city governments and the Regional Task Force on Homelessness on a regional approach to tackling the issue.
Officials have discussed the lack of affordable housing for decades, and they say the crisis has been exacerbated in recent years by the COVID-19 pandemic and continuing low wages relative to inflation.
Board Vice Chairwoman Nora Vargas, who proposed the declaration with Chairman Nathan Fletcher, said she did so with “a really heavy heart” and said it was “really something I wish we didn’t have to do.”
Vargas added that as a Southwestern College trustee, she knew of students sleeping in their cars. “When we as a county come together and offer resources, people take advantage of them,” she said.
Making homelessness a top priority will allow the county to review its existing programs and “really think about solutions that impact our communities,” she said.
Fletcher said public officials know that homelessness “cannot be ignored” and everyone has to work toward reducing it, including the 18 cities located in San Diego County. During a short public comment period, most who spoke supported the declaration.
- Update the board on regional efforts and recommendations to the county’s Framework for Ending Homelessness in the first quarter of 2023, including a comprehensive review of services and housing offered to those experiencing homelessness.
- Identify potential economic impacts to the county and investments needed to significantly reduce homelessness.
- Find housing opportunities and services, and make recommendations based on an assessment by Homebase, a non-profit group.
- Develop a plan for enhanced data collection, evaluating the county’s homeless services and programs, and establishing other methods, including 24-hour access to social workers or trained professionals.
- Allowing the Health and Human Services Agency director to research and apply for other funding opportunities.
“We recognize that prior administrations at the city and the county have not dealt with this issue,” Serrano said. “The difference is our alignment in acting on this issue.”
Some opponents said the board’s action was basically a political stunt or misguided. San Diego resident Melissa Grace told supervisors that her brother died from addiction on the streets, and that private non-profits needed to help resolve the homeless crisis.
Supervisor Jim Desmond said he was glad to see a region-wide approach, but said much work is needed to tackle the crisis.
“If we don’t deal with it, there’s going to be [a] greater cost in the future,” Desmond added.
In a related action Sept. 27, supervisors approved adding $500,000 to a flexible housing pool as a way to help 440 families at risk of homelessness. The money will be administered as part of an agreement with the Regional Taskforce on the Homeless.
In a statement, Fletcher’s office said he secured the original funding during his first year in office.
“Keeping families housed is exactly what this program was intended to do,” Fletcher said.
According to Fletcher’s office, the flexible housing pool money provides gap funding to help families and individuals pay for rent and other expenses, including security deposit assistance.
Between October 2020 and May 2022, the program has received 726 referrals and secured 459 units throughout the county, officials said.
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