A County-led partnership awarded nearly $17 million in State funds to help people experiencing homelessness along the San Diego River had its first outreach event Wednesday.
After setting up a central assistance point using the Live Well On Wheels mobile office, the outreach team fanned out to meet with people experiencing homelessness. The work is designed to help people secure more permanent housing and connect them with much-needed services while also cleaning up the riverbed.
Late last year, the State made $240 million in Encampment Resolution Fund grants available to local jurisdictions to help resolve encampments and get people into housing and services. The County applied for and secured that funding in collaboration with the City of San Diego, City of Santee and California Department of Transportation.
The money, awarded to the County’s Department of Homeless Solutions & Equitable Communities, will expand previous efforts to help the estimated 300 people experiencing homelessness who are living along the riverbed.
“Our team was excited to get out there yesterday and start this work,” said Barbara Jiménez, County Community Operations Officer. “In collaboration with our partners at the City of San Diego, City of Santee and Caltrans we’ll be able to improve the lives of community members now living unhoused in the riverbed.”
