SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - San Diego giving unanimous approval Tuesday of how to spend nearly $3.7 million towards the homelessness crisis.
This time it’s through state grant funding the city was awarded to help those in encampments on the San Diego riverbed transition into housing.
“It’s terrible. It’s really terrible. A lot of us don’t want to be down here anymore but we just can’t find a way out,” Nikki Brackeen, who is currently unhoused, said.
Nine years is how long Brackeen told ABC 10News she’s been living in encampments along the San Diego River.
“I mean it sucks we’re out here in the elements. We’re out like we don’t have food all the time. And I hate that I know that I put myself initially in this position. But once you’re here, you’re stuck and you can’t get back out again,” Brackeen said.
But the City of San Diego hopes to help those like Brackeen on the riverbed get out from there.
The City Council voting to approved how and where to spend the state grant money towards the homelessness crisis.
It said the grant money will fund things like costs of rental housing, supportive services and outreach work to tackle camps along the river.
“If there’s funds available then maybe they’ll be able to help us. And that would be; my life would be a million times better for that,” Brackeen said.
This isn’t the first time the City’s been awarded this type of grant funding form the state.
One of the instances it was awarded was to address encampments on E Street near the downtown post office. And another set of grant funding to address encampments on a stretch of I-15 in City Heights from Adams Avenue south to Thorn Street.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria saying about this round of grant funding, "By clearing unsafe encampments along our river and connecting residents to housing, we're not only improving public health and safety, but also fostering a sense of dignity and stability for those in need.”
Advocates for the unhoused ABC 10News this funding will be helpful but the need for more housing is still needed.
“Yes it’s going to help a small group of people. But the reality is if we don’t start building housing really, really, rapidly, we’re not going to resolve this problem and it’s going to continue to get worse,” John Brady, the Executive Director of Lived Experience Advisers, said.
Brackeen agrees more housing is a huge factor, but the funding does give her some hope.
“We’re not all just down here wasting away. Some of us really want to get back to society and be people again. I definitely want to be a person again, Brackeen said.
A city spokesperson said the hope is to have the outreach supported by this funding start by May.
