SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The City of San Diego was awarded nearly $12 million from the state's Project Homekey program as the city works to combat chronic homelessness, according to a press release from the mayor's office.
Mayor Todd Gloria says the $11.83 million will help fund the creation of 40 new homes for San Diegans without shelter.
According to the release, the money will be used to help build PATH Villas El Cerrito, which is a partnership between PATH Ventures, Family Health Centers of San Diego and Bold Communities.
Gloria says ending homelessness is "job number one" in California, and he gave Gov. Gavin Newsom credit for prioritizing Project Homekey.
“What solves chronic homelessness is housing with supportive services, and this award from the state’s Project Homekey will help us build 40 more of these critically needed homes,” Gloria says.
San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Fletcher says thanks to the grant, San Diego is better equipped to provide safe and stable homes in support of San Diegans who need it most.
“This project is another demonstration of the County’s unprecedented partnerships and investments in affordable housing and addressing homelessness, our region’s most pressing challenges,” Fletcher says.
The PATH Villas development is located at 5476 El Cajon Blvd. in El Cerrito. The building will have five floors of apartments, sitting right above a ground-floor health and rehab clinic, which Family Health Centers will operate.
The complex will have five studio apartments, 17 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments and one manager's unit, the mayor's office says. The clinic will offer preventive and medical care, mental health care, outpatient substance-use treatment, dental care and other supportive services.
"The development will also include a dog park and a business center to aid with job searches," according to the mayor's office.
The press release says the County Board of Supervisors in April voted to allocate about $11 million to the development for capital and part of the future operation costs for the services. The city will provide more than $2 million from its coffers from the state Permanent Local Housing Allocation program, which was established in 2017.
The release also says nearly $3 million needed to complete the financing will come from loan funding.
PATH Ventures, the San Diego Housing Commission and County of San Diego applied for the Project Homekey award, the release says.
Through the housing commission, the city says it will also provide 40 project-based housing vouchers to help pay rent for residents who previously experienced homelessness.
Council President Sean Elo-Rivera represents the area where the project is located.
“Housing is a human right, and the lack of housing has left us in a worsening humanitarian crisis that is having a devastating effect on our community. That’s why we have a moral imperative to utilize all opportunities available to create housing opportunities,” says Elo-Rivera.
