Photo: Mds08011 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Homelessness has been one of the top issues in San Diego politics for more than a decade. Responsibility is spread across several agencies, which can make it hard to follow who is doing what.
The City of San Diego
The city funds shelters, safe sleeping and safe parking sites, outreach and the Homelessness Response Center, and in 2017 the City Council created a select committee on homelessness to coordinate policy. Today the city’s Homelessness Strategies and Solutions Department leads its efforts, and the San Diego Housing Commission administers many programs on the city’s behalf, including rental assistance and housing vouchers.
The County of San Diego
The county provides behavioral health care, substance use treatment and public benefits, and runs programs in unincorporated areas. Because many people experiencing homelessness need mental health or addiction treatment, county services are a central part of the response.
The Regional Task Force on Homelessness
The Regional Task Force on Homelessness coordinates services countywide and organizes the annual Point-in-Time Count, a one-night census of people living outside and in shelters, required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It also manages the region’s coordinated entry system, which matches people with housing.
Getting or giving help
- 211 San Diego connects people to shelter, food and housing programs 24 hours a day.
- Volunteers can sign up to help with the Point-in-Time Count each January.
- To report an encampment or request outreach in the city, use the Get It Done app.
Sources
- Regional Task Force on Homelessness
- City of San Diego: Homelessness Strategies and Solutions
- San Diego Housing Commission
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