With the highest national percentage of homeless and four of its cities on the Top 10 most expensive list, California has the on-going challenge of meeting the emergency resource needs of those on the streets while increasing the availability of affordable housing for individuals and families on fixed or low incomes. San Diego, in particular, has a tight 3% vacancy rate with rents increasing by over 4% in a recent one month period. It has the second highest percentage of homeless in the state. With barriers like these, renters from all income levels find it difficult or near impossible to secure stable, permanent housing, and are looking for light at the end of the tunnel.
That light just may be No Place Like Home (Proposition 2), a $2 billion bond that successfully passed last November with over 63% of California voters supporting it. No Place Like Home will fund capital projects that include very affordable supportive housing units for homeless individuals and families with serious mental illness within small and large affordable housing communities, opening doors for permanent homes for a variety of San Diegans. The units funded through No Place Like Home will be located close to transportation and community-based services, and offer access to mental health programs appropriate to the level of need.
The funding for No Place Like Home is based on a formula factoring each county’s population and Point in Time Count, and in some cases the amount of households paying more than 50% of their income toward housing. With Proposition 2, San Diego County will stand to receive over $100 million in funds to create, rehabilitate or preserve supportive housing units. Development criteria for No Place Like Home communities and units follow similar standards established for the Mental Health Services Act housing program. Such requirements as limiting the number of program units within a development to ensure mixed population and mixed income communities, and prevent segregation of individuals with disabilities.
The need for supportive housing is clear and urgent with 29% of adult/older adults and 3% of children/youth/families connected to San Diego County’s Behavioral Health Services reporting they are homeless.
For more information on No Place Like Home, contact Amaris Sanchez, Senior Program Manager in the CSH San Diego office, at Amaris.Sanchez@csh.org.