February 7, 2019

More Than 3,000 Housing Opportunities Created in 18 Months Through SDHC’s Homelessness Action Plan

HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO action plan surpasses its three-year goal; Close to 6,000 housing opportunities created since 2014

SAN DIEGO, CA – The current phase of HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO, the San Diego Housing Commission’s (SDHC) homelessness action plan, has created more than 3,000 housing opportunities for San Diegans experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, achieving its three-year goal in just 18 months.

“Saying ‘Yes’ to creative approaches to housing people is the key to addressing many of the issues our region faces,” said Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer. “The Housing Commission’s HOUSING FIRST initiative is a great model for how we can continue to say ‘Yes’ to helping people get off the streets and into a permanent home. From property owners stepping up, to families reuniting, to lending support at just the right time, together we can continue to tackle homelessness.”

HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO is an effective, diverse funding and housing strategy that is rooted in the national “Housing First” model of addressing homelessness – to provide housing as quickly as possible, with supportive services as needed.

“I’m happy to see progress like this. It’s an important step to providing real resources to our most vulnerable residents who are unsheltered or are at risk of becoming unsheltered,” City Council President Georgette Gómez said.

Launched on July 1, 2017, the current phase of HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO directs $79.7 million in federal, City of San Diego, and SDHC resources over three fiscal years (2018-2020) toward programs to create permanent housing opportunities for individuals and families experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness in the City of San Diego.

“The 3,051 housing opportunities created so far through HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO provide a path to permanent housing for individuals and families in San Diego who otherwise would be in shelters or on the streets. This is a tremendous step forward in our partnership efforts to address homelessness, and I look forward to the additional housing opportunities that will be created in the next 18 months and beyond,” SDHC President & CEO Richard C. Gentry said.

The programs of HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO are:

• Landlord Engagement and Assistance Program (LEAP) – Incentives and benefits provided to landlords who rent to San Diegans experiencing homelessness, as well as housing location and financial assistance for tenants to pay moving costs like security deposits.
• SDHC Moving Home Rapid Rehousing – Assistance for San Diegans experiencing homelessness to quickly obtain and maintain permanent housing through a tailored package of assistance that can include short- or moderate-term rental assistance and case management.
• Homelessness Prevention & Diversion – Assistance to help families at risk of homelessness to remain permanently housed and for newly homeless families to identify alternative permanent housing or necessary support to stay out of the shelter system. This program includes the Downtown San Diego Partnership’s Family Reunification Program, which reconnects individuals and families living on the streets or in emergency shelters with family or other support systems through relocation assistance and follow-up services.
• New Permanent Supportive Housing – Creation of new affordable rental housing units with supportive services through SDHC property acquisitions or the investment of funds administered by SDHC to support the development of permanent supportive housing units.
• SDHC Moving On Rental Assistance – Rental assistance provided to up to 50 formerly homeless individuals who are transitioning out of permanent supportive housing, but continue to need rental assistance. This program is a partnership with the County of San Diego Behavioral Health Services Division.

The housing opportunities created through the current phase of HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO consist of:

• 1,855 through LEAP, including:
  • 256 SDHC Moving Home Rapid Rehousing households, and
  • 412 households assisted by the Homelessness Prevention & Diversion Program
• 957 through the Family Reunification Program
• 230 new permanent supportive housing units:
  • San Ysidro Senior Village Apartments (under construction) – 50 units
  • Beacon Apartments (under construction) – 43 units
  • Quality Inn (acquired by SDHC) – 91 units
  • West Park Inn (acquired by SDHC) – 46 units
• 9 through SDHC Moving On Rental Assistance

In addition, on September 4, 2018, SDHC issued a Notice of Funding Availability for up to $20 million and 525 federal rental housing vouchers to support the creation of additional permanent supportive housing units through HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO.

The current phase of SDHC’s homelessness action plan builds on the accomplishments of the first three years of HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO, which launched on November 12, 2014, and created more than 2,900 housing opportunities in three years.

Cumulatively, all of the phases of HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO have created 5,955 housing opportunities in less than five years, including the Housing Our Heroes Initiative, which helped 1,000 Veterans experiencing homelessness secure rental housing.

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Media Contact:
Scott Marshall
Vice President of Communications
San Diego Housing Commission
(619) 578-7138
scottm@sdhc.org