Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling on California cities to address homelessness with urgency and dignity.
"The public is exhausted by the conversation around behavioral health, the conversation around homelessness, and the challenges we face, not just here in California, but all across the country," he said during a virtual press conference on Monday.
He’s backing that push with the announcement of $3 billion in Proposition 1 funding to expand behavioral health housing and treatment options.
Seven projects across San Diego county got awards ranging from just under $8 million to nearly $50 million.
The largest award went to Palomar Health Foundation’s Psychiatric Hospital, to help build a 120-bed facility to address critical behavioral services. It’s expected to open in 2026.
Another award went Casa De Amparo in San Marcos; $19 million to help build a 16-bed psychiatric residential treatment facility on their property.
"It's not easy raising money as a smaller nonprofit organization, but to have the State step in and realize that mental health is critical, it's a bold move," said Kathy Karpé, the CEO of Casa De Amparo.
The 11-acre property serves vulnerable youth and foster children.
"Obviously, we will be serving kids that need it, that are already housed in our programs. But we'll be able to open it up to the community at large, and you wouldn't have to be system involved," she said. "If you specifically need mental health services of this nature, we would be able to open that up."
It's a project Karpé says they've been wanting to launch, but didn't have the funding for.
Two other nonprofit organizations were also awarded funding. The county of San Diego got two separate grants, and one more went to Inner-Tribal Wellness in Pauma Valley.
The awarded projects
- Inner-Tribal Wellness Village in Pauma Valley: $19,926,724.96
- Palomar Health Behavioral Health Institute in Escondido: $49,999,999.78
- Casa De Amparo in San Marcos: $19,981,840.60
- Amity Vista Ranch in Vista: $31,464,108.31
- Children’s Crisis Residential Care in San Diego: $7,938,630.00
- San Diego Recovery Campus in San Diego: $34,505,039.76
- Substance Use Recovery & Treatment Services in National City: $21,892,279.38
Not on the list was a controversial detox facility in San Marcos proposed by Interfaith Community Services.
The 150-bed facility was proposed to be located near several schools.
Interfaith says that project is now suspended.
