A controversial plan to add 150 safe sleeping cabins in Spring Valley for people experiencing homelessness has been canceled.
The plan was approved by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors earlier this year, but Chairwoman Nora Vargas announced on Friday that the plan has been rescinded.
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"The only way that we are going to find real solutions to addressing our homelessness and housing crisis is to hear community concerns and find workable solutions that prioritize the health and safety of everyone who lives here," Vargas said in a statement, in part. "The cabins project slated for Jamacha Road failed to meet that standard and was strongly opposed by the local residents for health and safety reasons."
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Vargas’ office has worked to get $8.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to find other sites for homeless solutions in Spring Valley, according to her staff.
In 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he was allotting $1 billion toward addressing homelessness. The plan included 1,200 tiny homes, and 150 were set for San Diego County.
Vargas’ staff confirmed in a statement to NBC 7 that the 150 tiny homes planned for Spring Valley was part of that program.
“The state’s commitment was to provide 1,200 beds to the identified jurisdictions. With the exception of the Sacramento project, the state is supplying direct grant allocations to the other jurisdictions for delivery of the remaining tiny homes," a California state spokesperson said in a statement, in part, to NBC 7. "Working with our local partners, it became clear that the most efficient way forward was to provide our partners with the allocation of funding proportional to the number of beds promised, with the locals procuring/installing the units."
The state spokesperson said $10 million in grant funding was allotted to San Diego.
“It is disappointing that San Diego County chose to abandon its efforts to provide tiny homes. In light of the local government electing to no longer move forward, the state plans to recoup the funding provided to them and weigh options for redeploying it to other jurisdictions," a state spokesperson said.
According to a San Diego County spokesperson, the county did not receive the funds yet.
While the saga plays out, both sides maintain they are working toward addressing homelessness in a way that gets people off the streets.
