DATE:
February 28, 2023
18
TO:
Board of Supervisors
Title
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SUBJECT:
IDENTIFYING ADDITIONAL SHELTER SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS IN EAST COUNTY (DISTRICTS: 2)
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OVERVIEW
According to the 2022 annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count, there are over 8,427 individuals currently experiencing homelessness across San Diego County. East County is second only to the City of San Diego in the number of homeless individuals living in a particular area. Last year's Countywide PIT count numbers were ten percent higher than the 2020 figures, indicating that more people are continuing to fall into homelessness. According to local officials, that number is likely lower than the true number of people who are unhoused. The County's response to this situation has included the deployment of various creative solutions. These include the expansion of coordinated outreach regionwide, launch of the North Magnolia Safe Parking Program - the first safe parking site of its kind located in the unincorporated area of San Diego County, improvements to the hotel and motel voucher system through the Regional Housing Assistance Program (RHAP), the $10 million Capital Emergency Housing Solutions Grant Program for the region's cities, and coordination with places of worship and community organizations to provide grant support to fund the use of cabins and sprung structures as temporary housing. Although these initiatives have helped move homeless individuals off the streets and into permanent housing, more action is needed to continue our efforts to reduce homelessness. We must explore additional solutions and leverage previous Board actions such as the Board's declaration of homelessness as a local public health emergency to usher in a renewed sense of urgency.
A new idea that could allow us to continue building on the County's efforts to address homelessness in East County is the use of a public-private partnership involving the County purchase of an existin...
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