SUPERVISORS APPROVE SLEEPING CABINS FOR HOMELESS, SEEK CHURCHES, NONPROFITS TO HOST SITES

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By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Tiny homes at Meridian Baptist Church in El Cajon

November 5, 2022 (San Diego) – The County Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved a proposal by Supervisors Joel Anderson and Nora Vargas to purchase sleeping cabins or other emergency shelter structures. The structures will be made available to community partners like churches and non-profits who want to step up and provide shelter options in their community.

The approval came in response to a board letter from Anderson and Vargas calling on the County to build partnerships to prevent, address, and seek an end to homelessness.

The action follows a pilot project in El Cajon, in which the city partnered with Meridian Baptist Church and the nonprofit group Amikas to build tiny homes for homeless women and children, as ECM recently reported. El Cajon Councilman Steve Goble donated his time to help build the homes and has been an outspoken advocate of this approach.

In an email to constituents, Supervisor Anderson wrote, “I was thrilled that this agenda item passed unanimously,” adding, “As I have said before— no single action will fix homelessness, but each of these things get us one step closer to getting people off the streets.”

Hope for the Homeless Lakeside's Executive Director, Judy Scheuer, attended the Board Meeting in mid-October. She highlighted the need for this board initiative by saying, "Our homeless literally have nowhere to go. They are moved and pushed away. Wherever they try to sleep, their sleeping gear and possessions are disposed of regularly."

 


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