SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- San Diego County has some leftover American Rescue Plan money to spend, and on Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors is slated to consider plans on how to spend the approximately $60 million in Evergreen Fund money.
Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer has put five plans on the table, including one that would create new recuperative care bed space for the San Diego region’s homeless who are recovering from medical and behavioral health problems.
It would help the county implement Senate Bill 43, which expands conservatorships for people with severe substance use disorder.
John Brady, who lived on the streets for a year about six years ago, told ABC 10News that he was shocked by the lack of services at that time and added that resources now are even more scarce.
Brady is now the Executive Director of Lived Experience Advisers, a group of formerly homeless people. He said they typically wouldn't support an idea like this because it doesn't include housing.
"But in this particular instance, we have people who are dying on our streets every day because they cannot get the surgery they need because they do not have recuperative care beds for them," he said.
The $8 million would just be the initial investment; Lawson-Remer said she hopes to use federal dollars to maintain the program once implemented.
However, there is a chance that this funding could not be approved.
Additionally, Lawson-Remer has presented four other plans:
- Expanding the county’s behavioral health workforce
- Supporting the county workforce’s well-being, hiring and retention
- Creating county employee housing
- Advancing economic prosperity, climate justice, and small businesses by growing the green economy
The fund was originally $80.6 million; $12 million was used on migrant services and $8 million on housing the homeless in addiction recovery.
