GLORIA PROPOSES $10M FOR HOMELESS IN BUDGET
Funds would pay for 300 more shelter beds, street outreach, other services
Hundreds more shelter beds, housing for about 100 families and more outreach workers are part of a $10 million funding plan Mayor Todd Gloria said he will bring before the City Council in a new effort to help San Diego’s homeless population.
“These investments we are making are setting the city of San Diego on a path to achieve our ultimate goal, which is ending chronic homelessness,” Gloria said Monday morning at a news conference in North Park Community Park. Chronic homelessness generally is defined as someone who is homeless for more than a year.
The mayor also called for the creation of a Homeless Strategies and Solutions Department to provide better cooperation among all city departments as well as the county, which earlier this month created its own Department of Homeless Solutions and Equitable Communities.
Gloria said the money would
come from the federal American Rescue Plan, which could be used for a variety of programs as part of the general fund. Using it for more homeless services will answer a pressing need in the city, he said.
“In the midst of a pandemic and even a recession, this is what San Diegans ask me the most about,” he said. “‘What are we doing about homelessness?’ ”
The largest expense would be $6.3 million to create 300 interim shelter beds, adding to the city’s existing bridge shelter program. As part of that program, Father Joe’s Villages operates a 526bed shelter at Golden Hall and the Alpha Project operates two large tented shelters that together have almost 300 beds.
The new beds would make significant progress toward a goal set in 2019 by the city’s Community Action Plan on Homelessness, which proposed getting half of the city’s homeless population off the street within three years by adding 350 to 500 more shelter beds.
When asked after the news conference whether those new 300 beds could be in place by the end of the year, Gloria sighed.
“I think you know I’m an impatient person,” he said.
Finding locations for shelters and other programs for homeless people has been among the city’s biggest hurdles, as community members often object to them coming to their neighborhoods.
John Brady, director of advocacy for the homeless choir Voices of Our City, called on fellow advocates to help fight the not-in-mybackyard crowd.
“When housing or services come to your neighborhood, please support that investment by combating the often-inaccurate positions of your NIMBY neighbors,” he said at the news conference.
Gloria’s policy director, Jessica Lawrence, said the city will not have another large bridge shelter, but rather may have shelter beds in smaller facilities on city or leased property. She said the city is in the early stages of identifying locations.
The $10 million proposal also includes $1.35 million to expand substance abuse treatment programs with about 65 new short-term detoxification beds, $1 million to increase the Coordinated Street Outreach Program from 17 to 28 people, $1 million to expand rapid-rehousing programs, rental assistance and casement management for 100 households, and $300,000 to expand workforce training to bring more people into the field of homeless services.
“In total, this is more outreach, this is more shelter beds, this is more help for people suffering from addiction, more help for families and individuals who are newly homeless, and more workers in the pipeline to help those who are struggling,” Gloria said.
The news conference was held at a park frequented by many North Park homeless people, and speakers included Mickey Major, who had been homeless for nine years and was living in the neighborhood when he met outreach worker Jessie Angeles with People Assisting the Homeless.
“I met Jessie, and he simply listened to what I had to say and what I asked him,” he said about how he was helped. Major is living in a downtown apartment and said he is looking for work in the medical field.
Councilmember Steve Whitburn, whose district includes North Park, also spoke Monday and said Major is an example of how outreach can help get people off the street.
“We have an opportunity to solve San Diego’s homeless crisis that we have never had before,” he said. “For the first time, every level of government, city, county, state and federal, is making this a top priority. We need to seize this opportunity, and the mayor’s budget demonstrates that urgency.”
Whitburn also said the city should pursue more state funding when it becomes available to purchase hotels that can be used for housing homeless people. Last year, the city bought two extended-stay hotels to provides homes for about 500 people.