Click the buttons below to view performance data on progress towards the Action Plans goals within reach, progress on strategies, and progress toward housing goals.
Three goals have been identified that are within the City’s reach within three years. Click on the links below to view performance data under each of the three goals.
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Source: Point in Time Count; RTFH
The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is conducted annually in San Diego County during the last week of January. The count is a snapshot of homelessness on a single night and provides a base or minimum number of those experiencing homelessness in the region.
The 2021 annual PIT Count did not include a count of unsheltered San Diegans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The San Diego Continuum of Care was granted an exception by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Source: Downtown San Diego Partnership
The Downtown San Diego Partnership (DSDP) Clean & Safe program conducts a monthly count of the total number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Downtown San Diego. The program adopted the counting methodology that the Regional Task Force on the Homeless used in the annual Point-In-Time-Count (PITC) to count individuals in tents/structures and vehicles prior to 2019. Program staff count 1.75 individuals per visible tent/structure and 2.03 individuals per vehicle that shows clear signs of habitation.
The data do not differentiate between how many individuals were observed and how many were calculated based on the methodology for structures and/or vehicles. In April 2021, DSDP expanded their boundaries to include additional neighborhoods in their monthly count. For additional information on DSDP’s calculations, mapping and additional neighborhoods, please visit DSDP’s website.
Source: San Diego Housing Commission
Project One for All (POFA) is a partnership with the County of San Diego to provide rental housing vouchers combined with supportive services for adults experiencing homelessness with serious mental illness.
Implement the Neighborhood-Based Coordinated Street Outreach Program
The Housing Authority of the City of San Diego and the City Council approved the Neighborhood-Based Coordinated Street Outreach Program on October 27, 2020. The San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) contracts with People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) San Diego to operate the Coordinated Street Outreach Program. SDHC will also hire an Outreach Coordinator to provide direction and support to the program. The initiative aligns with one of the Key Items for Consideration identified in the Plan, as well as the Foundational Strategies to implement a systems-level approach and create a client-centered homeless assistance system.
Using a neighborhood-based approach, the Coordinated Street Outreach Program strategically engages people experiencing homelessness to divert them from the homeless response system and facilitate permanent housing placements. The program also meets basic needs and provides connections for individuals experiencing homelessness. The program focuses on the quality of each engagement compared to the quantity of engagements and is client-centric and housing-focused, following Housing First principles.
The program will consist of two main service elements:
The City of San Diego’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget, which Mayor Todd Gloria proposed and the City Council approved on June 14, 2021, includes $1 million to expand the Coordinated Street Outreach Program. This expansion will support more than 13 additional full-time equivalent staff positions.
Open More Bridge Shelter Beds
Alpha Project for the Homeless was selected through a competitive procurement process to operate the 4th bridge shelter, located at 1710 Imperial Avenue, San Diego.
The Golden Hall (GH) Bridge Shelter was expanded to 288 beds and incorporated beds specifically for TAY population. GH downstairs expansion was approved on 10/6 for up to 280-324 additional beds.
Future State of Bridge Shelters
Operation Shelter to Home provided an opportunity to understand who is being served and what their needs are. The City, County and SDHC are working jointly to identify and secure resources to meet the needs of clients to provide a continuity of services after Operation Shelter to Home is demobilized.
Adopt Unsheltered and Encampment Policy Guidelines
On January 16, 2020, the RTFH Board adopted a series of policy guidelines to address unsheltered homelessness and encampments. The guidance is intended to influence decision making, funding, and activities of local government, homelessness services providers, and other stakeholders on the best ways to assist those living without shelter. The adopted guidelines are based on national best practices and local community input. They include a shared vision and approach, including using a Housing First orientation, promoting services over enforcement, and addressing racial disparities within the unsheltered population. Additional guidelines focused on promoting a person-centered, housing-focused street outreach model, as well as using a clearance with support framework to address encampments of individuals experiencing homelessness. The policy was supported by various regional entities, and a critical relationship with law enforcement was strengthened, as the San Diego Police Chief’s and Sherriff’s Association supported the unsheltered policy guidelines. The policy can be viewed here.
Regional Task Force on the Homeless Outreach Standards and Practices
Over the last two years, RTFH has been working with Iain De Jong, a nationally recognized expert and founder of OrgCode Consulting, to develop an enhanced set of standards for street outreach services. Starting in the summer of 2019, OrgCode began working with a diverse set of stakeholders including SDHC, the City and the County to understand current outreach practices, listen to key stakeholders, , and conduct initial outreach trainings. The Outreach Standards serve as a guiding framework for how coordinated outreach occurs throughout the region. Included in the Outreach Standards is the establishment of regional coordination entities to work with all outreach teams throughout the region, regardless of funding source, to ensure a comprehensive outreach effort. RTFH finalized the Street Outreach Standards in January 2021 and has been working with its key partners to support the implementation of the Street Outreach Standards.
The investment in street outreach will assist the region in ensuring the availability of appropriately trained outreach workers whose efforts are dedicated to helping people experiencing homelessness access permanent housing. Mobile outreach technology will enhance coordination of regional outreach efforts and deployment of outreach workers to the areas of highest need.
POFA Voucher Utilization Improvements
Operation Shelter to Home provided an opportunity to work with the County to improve the utilization of Project One For All (POFA) vouchers. POFA provides intensive wraparound services, including housing to individuals experiencing homelessness with serious mental illness. The County contracted with Mental Health Systems (MHS) to provide services on-site at the Convention Center to actively identify individuals that may be eligible for POFA vouchers, In addition SDHC staff worked closely with MHS, contracted POFA service providers and BHS leadership to reduce barriers to process and increase voucher utilization.
Reduce negative impacts of enforcement and criminal history on people experiencing homelessness and any barrier that may come up toward obtaining housing
In March 2021 Mayor Gloria also directed changes to policies regarding the City’s response to homeless encampments and the belongings of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. These changes provide a more person-centered approach to environmental services cleanings. Some of the changes include suspension of cleanups and enforcement during inclement weather, suspension of cleanups at night, and easier means to retrieve personal items removed during cleanups.
For more information on these and additional changes, click here.
Source: Point in Time Count; RTFH
The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is conducted annually in San Diego County during the last week of January. The count is a snapshot of homelessness on a single night and provides a base or minimum number of those experiencing homelessness in the region.
Data for sheltered Veterans from the 2019 PIT Count in the City of San Diego is not available.
The 2021 annual PIT Count did not include a count of unsheltered San Diegans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The San Diego Continuum of Care was granted an exception by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Source: San Diego Housing Commission
The HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program combines HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance for homeless Veterans with case management and clinical services provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). SDHC partners with the VA San Diego Healthcare System to administer VASH vouchers paired with ongoing supportive services to San Diego’s most vulnerable Veterans experiencing homelessness.
Source: Regional Task Force on the Homeless
The Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Rapid Rehousing (RRH) Program provides temporary financial assistance and short-term case management services to assist veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness and their families with obtaining permanent housing.
Source: Regional Task Force on the Homeless, Housing Inventory Count
This graph shows the number of resources that are dedicated for Veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness in the City of San Diego. In 2019, 200 beds were dedicated for Veterans, but the projects were not set up as Veteran specific beds in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
SDHC was Awarded 50 New Housing Vouchers for Veterans
In December 2021, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded 50 new Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers to the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC). These vouchers will help pay rent for veterans experiencing homelessness, who will also receive supportive services from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. These VASH vouchers have an estimated annual value of $623,982. Including the new vouchers, HUD has awarded 1,285 VASH vouchers to SDHC since 2008.
VASH Voucher utilization improvements
Operation Shelter to Home provided an opportunity to improve the utilization of Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers. Through coordination with local, regional, and federal leaders, including leaders from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and operational staff, barriers around how the VASH program historically operated were addressed. This led to a dramatically higher utilization rate of VASH vouchers.
Source: Point in Time Count; RTFH
The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is conducted annually in San Diego County during the last week of January. The count is a snapshot of homelessness on a single night and provides a base or minimum number of those experiencing homelessness in the region.
Data for sheltered Youth from the 2019 PIT Count in the City of San Diego is not available.
The 2021 annual PIT Count did not include a count of unsheltered San Diegans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The San Diego Continuum of Care was granted an exception by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Source: San Diego Housing Commission
The Family Unification Program (FUP) federal rental housing vouchers help reunite children with their families and assist youth exiting foster care who experience homelessness or are at risk of homelessness. SDHC was awarded 75 additional vouchers in April, 2020, and 50 of these vouchers are allocated for youth exiting foster care who experience or are at risk of experiencing homelessness. Prior to 2020, there were no FUP vouchers dedicated to transition aged youth.
Source: Regional Task Force on the Homeless, Housing Inventory Count
The Housing Inventory Count is a point-in-time inventory of provider programs within a Continuum of Care that provides beds and units dedicated to serve people experiencing homelessness.
This graph shows the number of dedicated resources for youth at risk of or experiencing homelessness in the City of San Diego at the time the Housing Inventory Count (HIC) was conducted. In alignment with HUD standards, the number of Rapid Rehousing beds is reported based on the number of clients enrolled on the night the HIC was conducted, rather than the number of beds dedicated to youth. The decrease from 2019 to 2020 is not necessarily a reduction in the number of beds dedicated to youth, because of the reporting mechanism for Rapid Rehousing beds. Less clients may have been served due to households staying in the Rapid Rehousing program for a longer period of time.
Additional Family Unification Program (FUP) Vouchers allocated for Transitional-Age Youth (TAY) population
SDHC was awarded 75 additional federal FUP vouchers, which help reunite children with their families and assist youth exiting foster care who experience homelessness or are at risk of homelessness. SDHC committed as many of the 75 additional FUP vouchers as needed for the TAY population at the Convention Center.
Youth Dedicated Shelter Beds
78 shelter beds dedicated to youth ages 24 and under were newly operational in various City funded shelters in calendar year 2021.
Urban Street Angels increased capacity for 21 additional Transition-Aged Youth (TAY) beds at their overnight shelter
San Diego Youth Services added 11 beds for youth at their Youth Emergency Shelter
Father Joe’s Villages dedicated 46 beds for TAY at Golden Hall