Written by Michael Palomba
San Diego has secured $7.1 million in state funding for its homelessness response during COVID-19. The resources will support emergency shelter and services at the Convention Center.
Breaking down the funding, $3.7 million will be used to prevent the spread of the coronavirus among the homeless population, $1.6 million from the County and $1.7 million from the Regional Task Force on Homelessness will also be managed by the City of San Diego.
$3.7M ➡️ @CityofSanDiego
$1.6M ➡️ @SanDiegoCounty
$1.7M ➡️ @RTFHSD
= $7.1M in state funds to support efforts underway at @SDConventionCtr to protect homeless from #COVID19.Thank you to state leaders for bringing resources to our region.
Learn more 👇🏽 https://t.co/roC1fEX9BY
— Kevin Faulconer (@Kevin_Faulconer) April 7, 2020
More than 800 homeless people have moved into the Convention Center, which was empty just a couple of weeks ago.
Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who has been on top of the COVID-19 situation, addressed the City Council to emphasize that the Convention Center is part of “a new, system-wide, coordinated regional approach to help sheltered and unsheltered individuals remain healthy during the COVID-19 crisis.”
Eligible uses of the funding include:
- Increasing Shelter Capacity – support for growing shelter space and the acquisition of new shelters.
- Hotels for COVID-19 Isolation – support for the acquisition or lease of hotels, motels, trailers and other alternative isolation placements.
- Emergency Shelter Operations – furnishings, supplies, and equipment needed to maintain a sanitary environment for clients and staff.
- Street Outreach – supplies and equipment needed to meet the urgent physical needs of unsheltered people and to protect staff from COVID-19.
- Providing Transportation – support for the transportation of those experiencing homelessness to and from shelters and medical care.
- Adding Staffing – support for additional staff for infectious disease preparedness and case management for clients.
“The Convention Center has undergone a remarkable transformation in just a few days, becoming an extraordinary symbol of San Diego rising to this occasion and using every resource at our disposal to fight COVID-19,” said Faulconer. I want to thank our state lawmakers for taking quick action to support our regional efforts to provide more shelter space, medical monitoring, and eventually a permanent home for San Diego’s homeless population.”
