SUBJECT
Title
REALLOCATION OF WILLOW RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARKING SITE FUNDS TO THE TROY STREET SLEEPING CABINS AND REGIONAL HOMELESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
On March 12, 2024 (18), the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved the design and development of the Willow Recreational Vehicle (RV) Senior and Family Parking Project in the unincorporated Lakeside community. The site was intended to provide 17 RV parking spaces with on-site case management and housing navigation services for individuals experiencing homelessness. However, the project was paused on August 27, 2024 (16) pending further review as part of the County's forthcoming Enterprise-wide Assessment of Homeless Services Report.
Approximately $4.9 million was allocated for the Willow RV site through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Framework. Prior to the project being put on pause, $531,432 was expended on site design, assessment, and permitting, leaving a balance of $4,368,568, of which $4,256,966 is currently encumbered in a Major Maintenance Capital Project account. Today’s item proposes reallocating a portion of the remaining funds towards two high-impact programs: $3.5 million for approximately one year of operations at the Troy Street Sleeping Cabins in Lemon Grove, and $868,568 to the Regional Homeless Assistance Program (RHAP) for continued emergency housing services.
RHAP has been successful in exiting individuals into permanent housing and annually serves hundreds of people. RHAP’s current ARPA Framework funds are expected to be exhausted early in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27, making today’s item urgent for this program’s continuation. This loss of funding would risk displacing dozens of individuals each night and halting the momentum RHAP has built in its mission to reduce homelessness through compassionate measures.
The Troy Street Sleeping Cabins project is expected to establish 60 cabins that will serve an estimated 140 individuals annually. This program will provide full wraparound services onsite, including case management, housing navigation, transportation, connections to social service programs, meals, hygiene facilities and more.
If approved, these additional funds will help support ongoing operations of the Troy Street Sleeping Cabins and RHAP programs in service to our region’s unhoused population. This program will play a vital role in addressing homelessness by combining immediate shelter with support services that help individuals stabilize and transition out of homelessness. These programs provide critical, person-centered emergency housing options for individuals experiencing homelessness, especially in unincorporated areas. This reallocation ensures continued progress toward the County’s Framework for Ending Homelessness by focusing on proven, scalable solutions.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
SUPERVISOR JOEL ANDERSON AND SUPERVISOR MONICA MONTGOMERY STEPPE
1. Approve the reallocation of $4,368,568 from the balance initially allocated in the American Rescue Plan Act Framework for one-time Willow Road RV Parking Site costs, $4,256,966 of which is in Major Maintenance Capital Project 1026799, Willow Road Recreational Vehicle Senior and Family Parking, to the Troy Street Sleeping Cabins operations for $3.5 million and the Regional Homeless Assistance Program for $868,568.
2. Cancel appropriations of $4,256,966 from the Major Maintenance Capital Project 1026799, Willow Road Recreational Vehicle Senior and Family Parking, based on Operating Transfer from the General Fund.
3. Authorize the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer of the Health and Human Services Agency or designee, to apply for future funding opportunities that support maintaining existing RHAP capacity.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Between 2022 to 2023, San Diego County saw a 20% increase in homelessness. Furthermore, data from the Homeless Management Information System (October 2022 to September 2023) published by the Regional Task Force on Homelessness found that, on average, for every 10 persons that find housing, 16 new persons experience homelessness. The 2024 Point-in-Time Count of people experiencing homelessness identified 10,605 individuals who were living on the streets or in shelters throughout San Diego County on one night. Of those, 201 were counted in the unincorporated areas of the county. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24, 526 households were served by RHAP, of which 44% were male, 56% were female, 29% were living with a disability, 8% were African American, 3% were American Indian, and 21% were Hispanic/Latino. A similar population is expected to be served on the future Troy Street Sleeping Cabins site.
Funding the sleeping cabins would directly address the most urgent needs of vulnerable subgroups within the unsheltered population. The sleeping cabins will provide a low-barrier, dignified non-congregate shelter option to support older adults, women, veterans, and those experiencing chronic homelessness. By offering private and secure spaces with supportive services, sleeping cabins create safer environments that can be tailored to the diverse needs of these populations, helping to reduce disparities in access to shelter and stabilize those most at risk. This approach not only meets immediate survival needs but also serves as a stepping stone toward long-term housing solutions, aligning with principles of equity and inclusive care.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds for these requests are included in the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Operational Plan for the Health and Human Services Agency based on existing available General Purpose Revenue through the ARPA framework originally allocated to the Willow Road RV Senior and Family Parking project. If approved, this request would result in costs and revenue of $3,500,000 for the Troy Street Sleeping Cabins operations and $868,568 for RHAP. There will be no change in net General Fund costs and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
N/A
BACKGROUND
On November 2, 2021 (4), the San Diego County Board of Supervisors (Board) adopted the County of San Diego (County) Framework for Ending Homelessness (Framework), outlining five strategic domains: Root Cause and Upstream Prevention, Diversion and Mitigation, Services, Treatment and Outreach, Emergency/Interim Housing, and Permanent Housing and Supports. Subsequently on February 8, 2022 (14), the Board approved Compassionate Emergency Solutions and Pathways to Housing (CESPH) efforts to help expand emergency housing options such as safe parking, sleeping cabins and RV parking in the unincorporated areas. The Regional Homelessness Assistance Program (RHAP) and the Troy Street Sleeping Cabins are part of CESPH efforts and operate within the Framework’s Emergency/Interim Housing and Services domain, offering flexible, person-centered options for people experiencing homelessness.
RHAP provides emergency housing through local hotels and motels. It currently serves up to 250 households per night, with approximately 40% of participants transitioning to permanent housing upon exit. RHAP is particularly effective in the unincorporated areas where limited shelter infrastructure exists. Since its inception, it has been funded by a mix of one-time sources, including Project Roomkey, the Emergency Solutions Grant, and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
On July 16, 2024 (21), the Board approved a project at the corner of Troy Street and Sweetwater Road in the City of Lemon Grove to establish a sleeping cabins site. This project will establish 60 sleeping cabins to annually serve approximately 140 individuals. Once established, this program will have 24/7 security, site management and maintenance, restrooms, laundry and hygiene facilities, internet access, storage, a common area for meals, pet and recreation areas. Onsite services will include case management, housing navigation to permanent housing options, access to behavioral health services for those who have the need, access to public benefits, employment or support with disability benefits, and other supportive services. The Troy Street Sleeping Cabins are expected to open in Summer 2026. While the $11 million construction costs are funded by the ARPA Framework, the County does not yet have an identified source of funds for operations at the Troy Street Sleeping Cabins site beginning in Fiscal Year 2026-27. Funding this site’s operations for one year with funds re-allocated from the Willow Recreational Vehicle (RV) Senior and Family Parking Project will help address the need for operational funds.
Although the ARPA funding was ratified, the Willow RV Senior and Family Parking Project (Willow RV) site was paused on August 27, 2024 (16), following the anticipation of the Enterprise-wide Assessment of Homeless Services Report (Assessment) from the Office of Evaluation Performance and Analytics. The primary recommendations from the Assessment were to continue to expand service in unincorporated areas to enhance service availability, monitor at-risk and sunsetting funding, and pursue sustainable funding. The initial Willow RV site design was expected to accommodate 17 parking spaces. While helpful on a small scale, this number falls short of meeting the broader needs of the region's unhoused population.
A total of $4,368,568 remains out of the initial $4.9 million allocation for the Willow RV project that the County can use towards homelessness efforts. Given the scale of the issue, reallocating these limited funds toward more comprehensive and scalable solutions, such as emergency housing, supportive services, and expanded resources within the Troy Street Sleeping Cabins and RHAP, offers a more strategic and equitable use of County funds. Redirecting funding towards these programs is critical to creating long-term solutions for homelessness within San Diego County.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s actions support the County of San Diego 2024-2029 Strategic Plan initiatives of Equity (Economic Opportunity) and Community (Quality of Life) by providing emergency housing options and supportive resources for individuals experiencing or at-risk of experiencing homelessness.
Respectfully submitted,
JOEL aNDERSON Monica Montgomery steppe
Supervisor, Second District Supervisor, Fourth District
ATTACHMENT(S)
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