SAN DIEGO (KGTV)--Mayor Kevin Faulconer announced plans Wednesday to begin a $80 million initiative to address homelessness in San Diego.
"We need to slow and reverse the growth in homelessness, which is why this plan focuses on making more housing units available, as well as preventing people from becoming homeless in the first place," Faulconer said. "It's a comprehensive strategy that breaking down bureaucratic silos by putting more resources behind projects and programs that work."
The Regional Task Force on the Homeless recently announced a five percent increase of people living on San Diego's streets from 2016 to 2017.
"Having these numbers to work with puts in back and white what many of us have been sensing: homelessness is on the rise," San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts said in April.
The San Diego Housing Commission has developed a three-year plan to reduce the number of homeless individuals living on the streets of San Diego.
"I'm grateful to see the plan includes 733 housing vouchers to assist the county's 'Project One For All' initiative in caring for seriously mentally ill homeless individuals," Roberts said.
It also includes:
- Homeless prevention and diversion services: Help 1,450 households that are homeless or at risk of homelessness to remain permanently housed. ($2.9 million)
- Coordinated street outreach: Expand support and coordination among existing street outreach efforts to address homelessness and the demand for existing resources, such as emergency shelters. ($300,000)
- landlord incentives through expansion of"Housing Our Heroes" program
- 'Rapid Rehousing' assistance: Assist about 600 households through the Housing Commission's 'Moving Home Rapid Rehousing Program,' a federal initiative for families who become homeless because of an unexpected life experience, such as a job loss, domestic violence of medical crisis. ($7.7 million)
- New permanent supportive housing: Provide more than 700 housing vouchers for the county's 'Project One For All' initiative, invest $20 million to create 200 units eligible for vouchers, and award up to $30 million to developers to create 300 new units eligible for vouchers. ($61.1 million)
- rental assistance program
The press conference will be held at 11 a.m. at Alpha Square and will also be attended by Roberts and San Diego City Councilmembers Chris Ward and Georgette Gomez.
Sandy Coronilla is a KGTV digital producer. Follow her @10NewsSandy
