The San Diego County Board of Supervisors has unanimously voted to consider a program that would improve emergency housing for veterans living on the streets in unincorporated areas.
Tuesday's measure was sponsored by Supervisor Jim Desmond, himself a Navy veteran, and directs the chief administrative officer to report back in three months with a pilot program to increase the number of Regional Housing Assistance Program beds.
According to the supervisors' agenda, the initiative also includes evaluating enhanced funding options for associated services such as case management, behavioral health support and rental assistance.
"We've been trying to do this for years," Desmond said before the vote, adding that the county has made roughly 25% progress in reducing the number of veterans living on the streets.
"There's still work to be done," Desmond said. "These are individuals who risk their lives in service of our country. I think it's unacceptable that we still have veterans in San Diego County sleeping on the streets that they sacrificed to protect. I think we owe them more gratitude and more action."
He added that far too often after being discharged, veterans lose access "to the very support systems that sustained them while they are in service," as some struggle with mental health or substance abuse disorders.
Desmond's colleague Monica Montgomery Steppe said the proposal shows promise, and she looks forward to reviewing analysis on it.
A pilot program will give veterans what they need "to get back on a path of permanent housing and self-sufficiency," Montgomery Steppe added.
Board Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer said that while she strongly supports Desmond's measure, the RHAP "is already at full capacity," which means carving out existing beds and prioritizing veterans.
"We do need more funding for these critical programs, because we need to be doing more and better for our veterans, but not at the expense of the rest of our population in San Diego County," she added.
