The San Diego County Board of Supervisors secured $10 million Tuesday to help house homeless individuals with severe mental illness.
The money comes from the state’s Mental Health Services Act, which was approved by voters in 2004 and provides funding to expand mental health services across California.
The supervisors unanimously voted to allocate the $10 million toward the Special Needs Loan Program to provide supportive permanent housing for the homeless in the San Diego region. A handful of speakers from various mental health organizations throughout the county spoke in support of the program.
Since it began, the supervisors have allocated $33 million to Behavioral Health Services to develop 241 permanent housing units in the San Diego area for those with mental illness. The agency uses a “housing first” model to address homelessness, according to county officials.
Representatives from BHS said the 2015-16 budget also includes expanding the county’s Alzheimer’s disease project and increasing services and treatment for youth in the juvenile justice system.
Supervisor Greg Cox said he participates in the annual point-in-time homeless count done on city streets every winter and witnessed firsthand the needs of homeless people in the county.
“In 2004, the voters of California passed Prop. 63 showing there was a need to address mental health services, and 11 years later that need remains,” Cox said. “Each individual has a compelling story to tell. This is absolutely a major step forward, but it’s just one step in the process.”
The county’s Live Well San Diego initiative is designed to provide resources to individuals with behavioral health needs to help them live healthy and productive lives.
The county will hold a dozen public forums throughout the region in October to identify unmet needs and gaps in mental health services and get community input on where additional dollars should be spent.
—City News Service
