HOMELESS COUNT FINDS 6 PERCENT DROP REGIONWIDE

By Miriam Raftery

May 17, 2018 (San Diego) --The number of homeless people in San Diego County dropped by 6 percent from last year, according to the 2018 Point-in-Time Count.  The number of homeless who are unsheltered fell even further, dropping 11 percent.

East County has 12.7% of all homeless people in the county, or 1,087 homeless people.

Conducted annually by the Regional Task Force on the Homeless, January’s count showed that 8,576 men, women and children are living on the street or in shelters across San Diego County, down from 9,116 counted in 2017.  Of those 8,576 homeless people, 4,990 were unsheltered and 3,596 were sheltered.

An accurate count is important, since results are utilized to apply for federal funds to help the homeless in our region. 

 “Seeing the overall number decline was a positive reversal, but there are far too many swings in data to declare a trend or to not see other areas where we need to increase our focus,” said San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts, who chairs the Regional Task Force on the Homeless. “We continue to face many challenges, highlighted by a lack of new housing, a condition that squeezes hardest those with the fewest resources. The only marginal decrease in the number of chronically homeless is among my biggest concerns.”

After a steady decline the last few years, veteran homelessness rose 24 percent, with 1,312 homeless vets counted.

County Addressing Affordable Housing, Homelessness

Over the past few years, the County has taken more aggressive steps to address affordable housing and homelessness in the region. County News Service details those actions.

In the recommended budget for the upcoming fiscal year, the County has dedicated over $175 million and 120 new jobs to meet the needs of the region’s most vulnerable residents, including those at risk or experiencing homelessness.

The County is also working to make housing in the region more affordable. It has created a $25 million Housing Trust Fund for seniors, veterans and other vulnerable people. The goal is to generate 400-600 new affordable housing units. The County is also repurposing excess property and turning it into affordable housing.

In addition, a record high of more than $650 million will be spent on behavioral health services, tripling the investment in drug and alcohol treatment programs.

Two years ago, the County launched Project One for All, an extensive effort to provide intensive wraparound services, including mental health counseling and housing, to homeless people suffering from serious mental illnesses. That program has helped 605 homeless people get a permanent place to live and they are how receiving needed treatment and resources.

The budget will fund 50 Psychiatric Emergency Response Teams and the County’s Whole Person Wellness program which aims to help 1,000 homeless Medi-Cal patients who cycle in and out of emergency rooms.

The County will continue providing public health, behavioral health and self-sufficiency services at the City of San Diego’s three tent shelters.

Working with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, the County manages the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program which offers rental assistance to homeless veterans and ongoing VA case management and supportive services. More than 525 homeless veterans have been housed in San Diego County since the program began in 2009, though the bump up in the number of homeless vets indicates more needs to be done to prevent those who served our country from winding up on the streets.

More than 1,600 people participated in this year’s homeless count, including more than 500 County employees.

For complete results of the count, visit the San Diego Task Force on the Homeless website.