The city of Lemon Grove has seen a huge increase in its homeless population. The 2024 Regional Task Force on Homeless' Point in Time Count data shows that Lemon Grove saw an 85% increase in unsheltered people from the previous year.
That's the largest increase of any East County city and the third largest increase in San Diego County.
On Tuesday, the city announced it had received an $8.4 million Encampment Resolution Funding grant from the state of California, for rapid rehousing of unsheltered people living in an area along State Route 94 and North Avenue.
Lemon Grove Mayor Alysson Snow said about 150 people live in encampments in that area, and the grant will help the city "provide services and support for people experiencing homelessness and encampments, resulting in meaningful pathways to stable and permanent housing."
The Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH) will oversee the program. RTFH CEO Tamera Koehler said they would "dedicate no less than 85% of that funding purely for outreach, engagement, rental subsidies, intensive care management, landlord engagement, housing retention services and supports for housing stability."
Kohler emphasized that wrap-around services like behavioral, mental health, addiction, employment and family support are critical when it comes to housing retention.
Snow said housing for the program already exists in the community.
"This is not a community of NIMBYs. This is a community of people who care. A community of people who go, 'But for the grace go I.' This encampment resolution program is not a handout. It's a hand up," Snow said.
Kohler said the grant money could be issued within the next 90 days and once the grant is executed, the city and the task force have two years to use all the funding.
