A year-long pilot program that boosted homeless outreach in Lemon Grove found 181 individuals who lacked stable housing.<\/p>\n
Dozens were connected to services such as food benefits and behavioral health care. Nine have so far made it into permanent housing.<\/p>\n
Those numbers, which were publicly reported Tuesday to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, provide a detailed look at the state of homelessness in one East County city and offer a final snapshot of the area before two initiatives significantly expand what aid is available.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe people moving into permanent housing \u2014 that\u2019s a lower number,\u201d Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe said from the dais on Tuesday. Nonetheless, \u201cthis pilot program added 181 individuals to that by-name list, establishing a strong foundation for future progress.\u201d<\/p>\n
East County has long lacked many of the homeless services available in urban centers like the city of San Diego. Shelter especially can be hard to find. County officials have tried to build small homes for the homeless in Lakeside, Santee and Spring Valley, but leaders backed down after neighbors objected.<\/p>\n
The county then pivoted to installing 60 sleeping cabins in Lemon Grove, an idea that has proved so controversial that some residents are trying to recall that city\u2019s mayor because she endorsed the effort.<\/p>\n
Those tiny homes, which are often called the Troy Street cabins, likely won\u2019t open until 2027<\/a>. In the meantime, county supervisors voted<\/a> to at least expand outreach within the city.<\/p>\n The 12-month pilot program began in October 2024. Just the fact that outreach workers were able to tally 181 homeless people is notable as the region\u2019s annual point-in-time count, which is a more prominent method for calculating homelessness, has previously reported far lower numbers. (At the start of the year, for example, the point-in-time count noted<\/a> only 110 people on Lemon Grove streets.)<\/p>\n \u201cI would love to see this replicated in high-need areas around the county,\u201d Supervisor Paloma Aguirre said about the increased outreach.<\/p>\n The program leaned heavily on county staffers and wasn\u2019t expected to cost extra money. Yet a lack of new funds may have hampered efforts to get people under a roof. Many who did land permanent housing relied on rental aid through the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing initiative, which is federally funded, according to county records.<\/p>\n Officials said the region\u2019s brutal housing market was a major obstacle to getting other residents housed.<\/p>\n