Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer is once again at the center of controversy after making false claims about her involvement with the Regional Taskforce on Homelessness. In a recent attack on former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Lawson-Remer stated she was not part of the Regional Taskforce on Homelessness’ Continuum of Care (CoC) board associated with the task force, despite holding the position of vice chair.
A simple Google search of the Regional Taskforce on Homelessness website confirms Lawson-Remer’s role as vice chair of the RTFH’s CoC board, a position she has held since taking office in 2021 . The CoC Program is designed to promote community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness. It provides funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, state, and local governments to quickly rehouse homeless individuals and families, while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused to those affected by homelessness. The program also seeks to promote access to mainstream programs and services for homeless individuals and families, and optimize their self-sufficiency.
(Terra Lawson-Remer is disputing she is the Vice Chair of the CoC Board of Directors. A screenshot accessed on September 25, 2024 tells a different story. Source: Google)
Despite the significance of this role, public records show Lawson-Remer has never attended a single meeting of the CoC board, a body responsible for coordinating regional efforts to tackle the growing homelessness crisis in San Diego County. Yet, earlier this month, Terra Lawson-Remer went on KUSI and admitted homelessness has gotten worse under her tenure and claimed it was her number one priority. Critics have raised serious concerns about her commitment to addressing one of the region’s most urgent challenges, especially as the homelessness crisis has worsened under her tenure.
Faulconer’s team was quick to counter her claims, accusing Lawson-Remer of dishonesty and deflection. “Lawson-Remer knows she’s the vice chair of the Continuum of Care board, and she knows she’s never shown up for a single meeting. This is just another example of her dishonesty and lack of accountability,” said Gus Portela, Faulconer’s communications advisor. “It’s very on-brand for Terra Lawson-Remer to forget that she’s on a board she’s never attended a meeting for. When she shows up for meetings at the county, she’s either late and not prepared. If any other human being failed to show up for work, or showed up late and unprepared, they would be fired from their job plain and simple.”
Since Lawson-Remer took office, homelessness has surged in San Diego County. A 2023 report by the Regional Taskforce on Homelessness revealed a significant increase in the number of unsheltered individuals. Meanwhile, the absence of decisive action from the vice chair has left many residents frustrated.
(An NBC 7 story depicts Terra Lawson-Remer as the Supervisor that represents the county of the Regional Taskforce on Homelessness’ Continuum of Care Advisory Board. Source: NBC7 https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/homelessness-in-san-diego-county-spikes-at-least-10-since-2020-annual-count-finds/2950807/)
Faulconer, during his tenure as mayor, oversaw the creation of temporary shelters and policies to reduce homelessness, despite the ongoing housing crisis. His team argues that Lawson-Remer’s absenteeism from key meetings and her lack of leadership are glaring failures.
While Lawson-Remer continues to draw a taxpayer-funded salary of nearly $280,000, her failure to attend meetings and the worsening homelessness crisis have become a major issue for her critics. How can someone claim to have homelessness be her number one priority but she’s showed up precisely zero times to the taskforce she’s a leader in?
With the election looming, voters will decide whether they trust her absent leadership or Faulconer’s solutions-oriented and inclusive approach bringing folks from all sides of the aisle to address the crisis – just as he did when he was mayor of San Diego.
