The San Diego City Council on Tuesday approved Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s plan for allocating millions of dollars in emergency state funding for homeless outreach and services.
The mayor’s plan calls for $14.1 million in state Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP) funds to be invested in programs including rental assistance and subsidies, outreach, and youth services. The exact breakdown is as follows:
- Rental assistance or subsidies, such as rapid re-housing vouchers and a flexible subsidy pool ($5.2 million)
- Services, such as outreach, housing navigation, storage for personal belongings, diversion and safe parking programs ($5.8 million)
- Capital needs that will allow the City to continue its services to nearly 700 individuals at the three bridge shelters ($1.6 million)
- Youth-serving programs ($705,000)
- Administration ($705,000)
The council approved the allocation plan unanimously.
“Homelessness is the issue across our state and cities are bearing much of the burden,” Mayor Faulconer said. “Our state legislators have recognized that all levels of government need to work together to help our most vulnerable residents. This funding gives us the ability to expand programs that are already working and create new programs that will help people begin to turn their lives around.”
The Regional Task Force on the Homeless will also receive nearly $20 million in HEAP funds to invest in countywide programs.
Local
Some of it will go toward existing programs and some will help support new initiatives.
HEAP is a $500 million state block grant program designed to provide direct assistance to localities to address the homelessness crisis in the state. The funds are “intended to provide immediate emergency assistance to people experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness.”
Of the $500 million, $150 million was directed to large cities.
