San Diego County Officials Vote to Declare Homelessness a Public Health Crisis

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to declare homelessness a public health crisis, directing the county chief administrative officer to work with city governments and the Regional Task Force on Homelessness on a regional approach to tackling the issue.

Officials have discussed the lack of affordable housing for decades, and they say the crisis has been exacerbated in recent years by the COVID-19 pandemic and continuing low wages relative to inflation.

Board Vice Chairwoman Nora Vargas, who proposed the declaration with Chairman Nathan Fletcher, said she did so with "a really heavy heart" and said it was "really something I wish we didn't have to do."

Vargas added that as a Southwestern College trustee, she knew of students sleeping in their cars.

"When we as a county come together and offer resources, people take advantage of them," Vargas said.

Making homelessness a top priority will allow the county to review its existing programs and "really think about solutions that impact our communities," she said.

Fletcher said public officials know that homelessness "cannot be ignored" and everyone has to work toward reducing it, including the 18 cities located in San Diego County. During a short public comment period, most who spoke supported the declaration.

Some of county chief administrative officer Helen Robbins-Meyer's responsibilities will include:

• Updating the board on regional efforts and recommendations to the county's Framework for Ending Homelessness in the first quarter of 2023, including a comprehensive review of services and housing offered to those experiencing homelessness
• Identifying potential economic impacts to the county and investments needed to significantly reduce homelessness
• Finding housing opportunities and services, and making recommendations based on an assessment by Homebase, a non-profit group
• Developing a plan for enhanced data collection, evaluating the county's homeless services and programs, and establishing other methods, including 24-hour access to social workers or trained professionals
• Allowing the Health and Human Services Agency director to research and apply for other funding opportunities

Ellen Nash, chairwoman of the county's Leon Williams Human Rights Commission, expressed concern about whether the county had a strategy to address why Black residents are 25% of the county's homeless population, even though they account for around 5% of the overall population.

"As we stood with you as you declared racism as a public health crisis, we're standing with you again," said Nash, who is also the chairwoman of the Black American Political Association of California.

Nick Serrano, deputy chief of staff for San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, said his office sees the declaration as hopeful.

"We recognize that prior administrations at the city and the county have not dealt with this issue," Serrano said. "The difference is our alignment in acting on this issue."

One caller who identified himself as Levi said he once lived on the street but now works as a housing navigator, and supported the board's action.

"We had our street family, and [were] constantly pegged as drug addicts or criminals," Levi said. "The end goal, the bottom line that will end homelessness, is housing," adding that recovering addicts need secure housing to stay sober.

Some opponents said the board's action was basically a political stunt or misguided. San Diego resident Melissa Grace told supervisors that her brother died from addiction on the streets and that private non-profits were needed to help resolve the homeless crisis.

Supervisor Jim Desmond said he was glad to see a region-wide approach but said much work is needed to tackle the crisis.

"If we don't deal with it, there's going to be [a] greater cost in the future," Desmond added.

In a related action Tuesday, supervisors approved adding $500,000 to a flexible housing pool as a way to help 440 families at risk of homelessness. The money will be administered as part of an agreement with the Regional Taskforce on the Homeless.

In a statement, Fletcher's office said he secured the original funding during his first year in office.

"Keeping families housed is exactly what this program was intended to do," Fletcher said.

According to Fletcher's office, FHP money provides gap funding to help families and individuals pay for rent and other expenses, including security deposit assistance. Between October 2020 and May 2022, the FHP has received 726 referrals and secured 459 units throughout the county, officials said.