Articles by Blake Nelson

Technology

A homeless outreach program just ended in Lemon Grove. A bigger one took its place.

A year-long pilot program that boosted homeless outreach in Lemon Grove found 181 individuals who lacked stable housing. Dozens were connected to services such as food benefits and behavioral health care. Nine have so far made it into permanent housing. Those numbers, which were publicly reported Tuesday to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, provide a detailed look at the state of homelessness in one East County city and offer a final snapshot of the area before two initiatives significantly expand what aid is available. “The people moving into permanent housing — that’s a lower number,” Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe said from the dais on Tuesday. Nonetheless, “this pilot program added 181 individuals to that by-name list, establishing a strong foundation for future progress.” East County has long lacked many of the homeless services available in urban centers like the city of San Diego. Shelter especially can be hard to find. County officials have tried to build small homes for the homeless in Lakeside, Santee and Spring Valley, but leaders backed down after neighbors objected. The county then pivoted to installing 60 sleeping cabins in Lemon Grove, an idea that has proved so controversial that some residents are trying to recall that city’s mayor because she endorsed the effort. Those tiny homes, which are often called the Troy Street cabins, likely won’t open until 2027. In the meantime, county supervisors voted to at least expand outreach within the city. The 12-month pilot program began in October 2024. Just the fact that outreach workers were able to tally 181 homeless people is notable as the region’s annual point-in-time count, which is a more prominent method for calculating homelessness, has previously reported far lower numbers. (At the start of the year, for example, the point-in-time count noted only 110 people on Lemon Grove streets.) “I would love to see this replicated in high-need areas around the county,” Supervisor Paloma Aguirre said about the increased outreach. The program leaned heavily on county staffers and wasn’t expected to cost extra money. Yet a lack of new funds may have hampered efforts to get people under a roof. Many who did land permanent housing relied on rental aid through the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing initiative, which is federally funded, according to county records. Officials said the region’s brutal housing market was a major obstacle to getting other residents housed. While the pilot program ended last month, it was replaced by something more robust. Lemon Grove recently received a multi-million-dollar grant from the state to ramp up outreach in encampments along State Route 94, and some of that money can go to helping homeless people pay rent. Local officials have said more than 30 individuals have already gotten permanent homes. The grant is eventually expected to house more than 100.