The San Diego County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously voted to explore developing a pilot program to expand access to supportive housing for homeless individuals suffering from substance use issues.
Tuesday’s action directs the county’s Chief Administrative Officer to look into developing a program to expand recovery residence housing access for around 100 homeless people in North County.
Supervisor Jim Desmond, who brought the proposal before the board, said he hoped the program will yield positive results for an eventual countywide expansion.
According to Desmond’s office, more than one-third of the county’s homeless suffer from addiction, and many remain homeless despite receiving outpatient treatment.
“Their lack of housing is a constant threat to their sobriety, and they are a population that we should prioritize as we continue to work towards ending homelessness,” Desmond wrote in his proposal. “By providing housing opportunities, we can help prevent these individuals from falling back into homelessness.”
While County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer said the county has around 2,500 recovery residential beds, she said there was “a clear need” for more and added, “This is a really promising pilot.”
The Board voted 4-0 in support of the pilot program.
