The county will spend millions of dollars in its new budget to house homeless people through new projects, refurbished buildings and incentives to landlords and property owners.

The new housing push reflects the priorities of next year’s budget, which focuses on the most-vulnerable adults and includes more health and mental health services for the homeless, according to Nick Macchione, director and deputy chief administrative officer for the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency.

About two years ago, housing programs were added to Health and Human Services, and staffing in that department will increase by 10 percent, adding 16 more people to help find housing.

The county also is adding $1.3 million for vouchers that can be used for hotels and motels and is increasing funding for programs that encourage and help landlords rent to homeless people.


In another effort, the county is continuing its “Project One For All” initiative to house homeless people with serious mental issues. The program’s budget is increasing by $8.2 million, bringing its total to $30 million.

When the three-year initiative launched in 2016, the county set a goal of housing 1,250 homeless people who had mental issues. So far, 720 have been housed.

Macchione said the program costs $35,000 a person annually, which is less than it would be to incarcerate each individual.

The new budget also addresses the challenge of finding rental units for homeless people at a time when vacancy rates are low and rents are high. The county will spend $400,000 in an ongong program to provide incentives for landlords and property owners to rent to homeless people who have housing vouchers.


The county also has $25 million to provide gap financing to developers to acquire, build or rehabilitate property to create affordable housing. The fund could create housing for 400 to 600 people.

Some housing may be built on 11 surplus property sites the county owns. On Tuesday, when the budget is scheduled to be discussed and adopted, the Board of Supervisors also will consider a plan to convert the closed Family Court building on 6th Avenue into 180 units of affordable housing. The old courthouse could be demolished within six months.

The county also plans to convert the old crime lab in Clairemont into 494 housing units that will include affordable housing.

Another property that could be used for affordable housing in the near future is on Lamont Street in Linda Vista on the former site of the county’s Child Welfare office.


That property could house a series of cottages that could be used for senior citizens, people with mental health issues or the homeless, and it would be the first of its kind in the county.

Macchione said about half of the 11 surplus property sites have buildings on them that will either be razed or rehabilitated.

“We’re seriously looking at reducing some of those 50- to 60-year-old buildings that have just become black holes for major maintenance,” he said. “The model for rehab is a bulldozer.”

Other county property that is being eyed for affordable housing projects include the closed downtown courthouse and a property on the corner of Cedar Street and Ketner Boulevard downtown.


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gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT


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